Chaos Control Freaks
by aribearies
Summary: Sonic has been an orphan his entire life with no idea who he is. When an opportunity to go to an academy for Mobians presents itself, Sonic brings his makeshift family with him; not knowing about the adventures that would follow and the past that would continue to haunt him. Shadonic/Sonadow. Hybrid AU.
1. A New Start

_A/N: Heyo, first Sonic story. This one is really long and combines elements from multiple universes (TV shows, comics, games, etc). In this story, all the Mobians are human-animal hybrids. Originality? What is that?_

 _Also the main ships in this are Shadonic/Sonadow and Knuxouge, but there's way more than that because Sonic is adorable and everyone loves him. ;)_

 _Summary: Sonic has been an orphan his entire life with no idea who he is. When an opportunity to go to an academy for Mobians presents itself, Sonic brings his makeshift family with him; not knowing about the adventures that would follow and the past that would continue to haunt him. Shadonic/Sonadow. Hybrid AU._

 _Rating: M for mature/sensitive stuff in the future._

 _Disclaimer: Sadly, I'm just a fan writing fanfiction because I'm bored with nothing better to do._

* * *

 _ **Chapter 1: A New Start**_

 _It all started with him running faster than the speed of sound through a forest. The scene faded and a large city appeared. Humans were minding their own business, cars and taxis were driving through the streets- everything was perfectly normal. Suddenly manholes had begun to explode and cracks began forming in the streets. The buildings became flooded and a great wave consumed everything. A floating island fell. A battleship flew over the city and obscured everything in its shadow. A large, reptilian, emerald green eye opened and its pupil became a slit. Through them reflected hatred and chaos…_

oOo

Sonic awoke with a start and struggled to calm his breath. His forehead was covered with sweat and his heart was beating rapidly. His hand managed to clutch onto his chest, his eyes in a dazed shock. He blinked. Suddenly, his surroundings came into focus and he became very confused. He sprang from his bed and darted towards the bathroom, turning on the faucet and splashing his burning head with cool water. His eyes roamed towards the mirror and he stared at his own pair of emerald eyes. He cursed under his breath as he twisted the knob, silencing the sound of rushing water. He rubbed his hand against his cheek as he inspected his reflection, especially his eyes. They were the same shade as the creature's. _How can a dream strike so much fear into you?_ He wondered. _It wasn't even real; you're losing your cool. If the kids saw you like you are now…_

He shook his head and let out a heavy sigh. He grabbed a nearby towel and wiped off the remaining water from his face. It was stupid, completely stupid. Him getting worked up over something so _pathetic_. He left the bathroom with a scowl on his face and plopped right back into his bed. The light snores of his younger brother beside him caught his attention and he shifted his position so that he looked at him. The fox-hybrid's blond hair with white tips was in his face and drool was down his chin. Sonic couldn't help but smile as he pushed back the stray strands. Miles Prower was his full name, but was given the affectionate nickname "Tails" by the hedgehog-hybrid beside him. The hedgehog gently closed his eyes; the nightmare he had before completely fled his thoughts, and soon enough, he too was slumbering peacefully.

oOo

When he woke up again it was due to the alarm beside him. He sat up and fiddled with the annoying clock until he finally found the power button. Somehow, his brothers hadn't woken up to the blasted thing. He swung his legs to the side of the bed and got up, walking past his older brother's bed and out the door. He entered the kitchen of their small, new home and looked at the papers stacked upon one of the counters. They were the schedules for each member of the family, except Cream and Cosmo. Curiously, he picked up the one labeled with his name and skimmed the text written upon it. He compared it to Knuckles', his older brother, and noticed that they had every class together. He let out a small sigh of relief.

He dropped them back onto the pile and leaned back against the counters for a moment, wondering what to do next. He decided that a shower would be a good place to start and advanced towards the bathroom. He closed the door behind him and messed around with the shower knobs until he found out what controlled what. He undressed himself, letting his night clothes fall to the ground without a care before he kicked them aside, and stepped inside the shower. The cold water startled him at first, but he quickly adjusted the temperature to warm. After getting rid of the filth that's been stuck to him since _god knows when_ , he felt fresh. He could get used to this new life.

He wrapped a towel around his waist after he dried most of his body off, right before he gazed at his reflection in a nearby mirror. His spiky, blue hair was still dripping, its length going just beyond his shoulders. He always prided himself on its strange, but natural color. His skin was fair and he was able to admire it now that it was clear of grime. Like most Mobians, excluding Knuckles, he had a pair of animalistic ears on top of his head. His eyes, though big and shaped femininely, were the same bright emerald he cursed earlier. He frowned and let out a puff of air. Was he seriously going to start that again? He shook his head- he hardly remembered that dream anyways. He stared at his reflection and spun in small half circles to get a good look at himself. He was very lean and lightly muscled; unlike Knuckles who had abs he could only _dream_ of ever getting. His legs were especially well toned, since running was one of his favorite pastimes. He had to admit to himself that he was a very attractive Mobian, even if it did sound conceited.

Well, he _was_ often told that his ego was one big flaw of his.

He left the bathroom and went straight to the bedroom's closet, picking out his only set of day clothes. Luckily they had a washer and dryer in their new home that was free of charge. He pulled on his red sweatpants that ended just below the knee with an elastic band and slipped on a white wife-beater. Over that, he placed a small, blue vest with white accents and a golden zipper. He slipped on a pair of white gloves and socks while he debated on whether or not he should wake the rest of his family. The girls had already taken their showers the previous night, as the eldest of them had refused to sleep on the beds dirty, and the other two were easily convinced that their elder had a point. Following the pink, hedgehog-hybrid's lead, the other two girls took showers as well, despite being exhausted by a long day.

Sonic shot Tails a glance, his eyes lingering on the younger's peaceful face. He decided on giving his little brother a few more minutes as this was probably the best rest the young kit had ever experienced. Sonic walked over to his older brother and loomed over him with his hands on his hips. Sonic sucked in a breath and shook the red, echidna-hybrid. The response was a groan, so he shook the echidna harder. Eventually the red Mobian slammed his fists on the bed and quickly sat up, startling the blue hedgehog. Sonic smirked and placed a finger over his lips.

"You should get ready, but give the kid a few more minutes, 'kay?" The echidna huffed, but pulled off the covers anyways. Sonic left the bedroom, only to hear chatter going on in the bedroom next door. Curiously, he opened it just enough to peek inside.

"Cream, you _have_ to get up. I heard Sonic in the shower not too long ago-yes, I'm sure it was him. Only Sonic's responsible enough to get up early!" Sonic opened the door the rest of the way and entered the room. The pink hedgehog smiled as he entered and ran into his arms, catching him off guard. He honestly should've expected that.

"Sonic, I knew that it was you! You smell really nice too!" Sonic lightly blushed as he attempted to push the energetic twelve-year-old away.

"A-Amy!" He choked out as her grip around him became tighter. She was a sweet girl, really. She just had a bit of trouble showing her affections properly.

She let go of him, one hand on her hip while the other pointed to a mound underneath the sheets on a bed. "I've been trying to wake Cream and Cosmo up, but they won't budge!" Sonic went up and gently tugged the blanket off the two girls, both of whom barely put up a fight. The two girls were shaking, with Cheese the Chao being cradled like a baby in Cream's arms. Cream, a rabbit hybrid and the youngest in the family, opened her large caramel eyes and began crying.

"Please don't make us go! I don't wanna be separated from you! Amy told us that we wouldn't be together anymore!" Sonic shot the pink hedgehog a glare, and as a reply, she sheepishly shrugged.

"I was complaining that we wouldn't be able to see you that much anymore…then they started asking me too many questions. I only said we'd be separated for a little while. It's not like I made it sound like we were never gonna see each other again." Amy explained. Sonic nodded in understanding and took Cream's trembling hand in his.

"Cream, it's just school, you'll learn all these cool new things and make friends that are your age. We're not going to be separated forever, just for a few hours. At the end of the day, we'll all be here."

"What if nobody likes me?" Cream whispered with a small quiver.

"Cream, you're adorable and sweet. Who wouldn't like you?" Sonic smiled. "But, if someone is making you sad, you just tell me and I'll handle it, okay? Though I seriously doubt that'll happen." Cream wiped her tears away with her arm and a small smile formed on her lips.

Cosmo, however, still had a frown on her face and her eyes were downcast. She was twiddling her thumbs and her blue eyes were dull. Sonic pouted and sat on the bed next to her.

"Cosmo, what's wrong? Same as Cream?" Cosmo shook her head and gave Sonic a quick glance. "Then what?"

"I…" She paused, thinking of what to say. "I'm...different." She said simply. Everyone immediately knew what she was talking about. Cosmo was neither human nor animal-like. She was a rare species, a plant-hybrid. Plant-hybrids _were_ a very secluded race; many people would often stare at her.

Sonic bit his lip, thinking of something comforting to say. "Cosmo, just 'cause you're a not an animal doesn't mean you're not a Mobian! We're all subspecies here!" Sonic winked. "Don't let it get to you; we're all categorized as the same thing. Plant or animal, we're all still Mobians."

Cosmo shrugged, raising her head as she began to feel a little more confident. "I-I suppose you're right."

"Of course he's right!" Amy huffed. "Cream, get changed. Cosmo and I have been ready since forever and Cheese, well, he's already ready." Amy, who had already been dressed into her normal red sundress, ordered. The young rabbit nodded and carefully got off the bed, following Amy's command without question and with a smile.

Sonic stood up. "Well, I'll leave it to you guys to finish getting ready." With that said, he left. He entered the living room to find both Tails' and Knuckles' set to go. Tails, whose sky blue eyes were wide with mirth, had a large grin on his face. His blond hair was messy, yet framed his face, with two ears on each side of his head. He wore beige cargo shorts, a white wife beater, and a yellow pullover hoodie. Bits of his white chest hair stuck out (though that trait had always made Sonic a bit jealous), and he wore gloves, socks, and a pair of red and white sneakers. Knuckles beside him wore a red, zipped vest that outlined his abs and exposed his bronzed arm muscles. He also wore blue jeans that were stained and ripped in a few places, as well as spiked gloves and colorful sneakers. His red hair, slightly longer than Sonic's, was kept together in rather large spikes. A 'self-defense mechanism', the other argued. Whatever.

Tails rushed to Sonic, his two tails swishing back and forth. "I saw my schedule! I can't believe I'm in school with you guys!" He frowned a second after. "But we don't share a lot of classes. You're stuck with Freshmen, aren't you? And I'm taking really advanced Science classes…"

Knuckles groaned. "Don't rub it in, kid. Sonic and I are stuck in a special Math class. I should be a junior and I have to take stupid Pre-Algebra. Isn't that middle school stuff?"

"Well, at least we have every class together, Knux!" Sonic rubbed his temples. "Ugh, just when I thought I'd finally get a break from you, they manage to keep us together...Kidding!"

Tails stifled a giggle at the deadpan look Knuckles was giving Sonic. "Sonic, we have English, Lunch and Gym together!" He stated. "We'll all be together for that!"

Sonic ruffled Tails' blonde hair, but faced Knuckles. "Hope you don't mind me pairing up with the little guy whenever there's group work!" He winked, but Knuckles scoffed anyways.

"Whatever." Knuckles paused before shooting Sonic a curious glance. "My mind's a little hazy, but do you care to remind me why we're even going to school?" Sonic's smirked.

"Let's just say, while I was out scavenging for food, I got kidnapped by those guys in GUN and met the President." The surprised and doubtful looks on his brothers made him chuckle. "Right? Totally out there, but that's why I took so long! So apparently they've caught this strange green energy on me and Knux and they want us near Prison Island so they can keep an eye on us. So, they promised me with food, clothing, shelter and school for all of us if I agreed, so yeah. Now we're here in the Mobian Academy of Station Square." Sonic explained.

Knuckles pointed to himself. "Me too?" Sonic nodded, but waved his hand.

"Yeah, but don't get worked up all over it. We're not special or anything. We finally got a home and that's what counts." Sonic plopped himself onto the couch and grabbed his worn out red sneakers from underneath. He slipped them on, frowning a bit as he saw how bad they were becoming. ' _I should really get new ones, but…_ '

In that instant, the girls came from their room with Cheese near Cream. Amy had a small, cross-body purse hanging over her shoulder, Cream now wore her orange dress and Cosmo's petal-like dress was fixed so it no longer looked like she slept in it.

"Well?" Amy glanced at the others. "Shouldn't we head to breakfast?" With that, she headed straight towards the counters, grabbed all the schedules, and walked towards the door. She eyed the boy's with her motherly jade eyes as she carefully folded all the schedules and placed them into her purse. Sonic picked Cream up and followed after the pink hedgehog, the other's soon following suit. Some excited, and others still nervous.

oOo

"So…wait," Knuckles asked as he stared at the cafeteria before him. "Do we not order food?" The cafeteria was a large, four story building. The first floor was filled with conveyor belts that appeared from random windows in the walls and transferred different trays of food across the room: some held French toast, others held pancakes, and some eggs. There was a greater variety, but those were the basics.

"I guess it's like a buffet…we just grab whatever tray we like and go…" Sonic eyed the trays as they passed him. He found a plate with pancakes and eggs and picked it up, deciding that it was efficient enough. Tails also grabbed a plate of pancakes; however his was topped with whipped cream and berries. Knuckles got a tray of colorful cereal and milk for Cream, a small peach for Cheese and some French toast sticks for himself. Amy took a regular cereal she had found with a side of applesauce and Cosmo picked up an apple from a random tray. Eventually the group went to one of the many drink stands, each picking a drink. Cream and Tails both selected chocolate milk, Amy regular milk, Cosmo water, and Knuckles and Sonic both chose juice, though Sonic picked orange juice and Knuckles went with grape.

"Oh course you went with grape," Sonic teased his older brother who rolled his eyes.

"Sonic, if they ever made a chili dog drink, I'm sure you would drink that thing no matter how repulsive it sounds." The echidna countered.

Sonic rolled his eyes. "Well, no duh! The heavenly food of the gods in liquid state! Man, same taste, yet a quicker time to consume. I'm all game for it." Knuckles' face scrunched up in disgust, and he shook his head to get rid of the horrible image.

The two teens led the rest of the family; they meandered through three crowded stories in search for an empty table. Soon enough, they found a somewhat-secluded area on the third floor-it being the least popular floor. A large enough table was close to the wall, and it only held two occupants sitting across from each other; a lavender feline-hybrid and an ivory hedgehog-hybrid. Sonic walked up towards them until he stood beside the male, his eyes darting between the two.

"Hey!" He began, catching the attention of two pairs of amber eyes. "Is it alright if my family and I sit with you guys? No other place is big enough." The cat nodded though it was apparent she was slightly annoyed. The ivory male was practically fuming, and Sonic noticed this, but didn't understand quite why. He sat down next to the hedgehog, a bit taken aback by the rude behavior. He couldn't fathom what was so wrong about asking to share.

Tails took the seat beside Sonic, and Amy immediately took the seat right across from her beloved. Knuckles sat beside Tails with Cosmo right across from him while Cream sat herself between Cosmo and Amy, and Cheese flew into her lap. The trays were all placed onto the table, and napkins were all placed into a pile in the middle. Knuckles put the peach he got earlier near Cream's tray, resulting in Cheese to fly towards it and nibble it. Everyone gently laughed before beginning their own meals. Cream began a conversation with Knuckles about how good the food was, with Cosmo silently listening and Tails quietly enjoying his meal.

"So, what're your names?" Sonic heard Amy ask the two other Mobians. The lavender feline glanced at her.

"My name is Blaze the Cat, and his name is Silver." Blaze responded. Amy nodded with a smile before continuing.

"Have you two been here long? If you have, can you tell us a bit about this place? We just got here last night so we're clueless! It's a miracle we even found the cafeteria as fast as we did."

Blaze paused as she bit her lip, as if debating whether or not to speak. "We've been here for one year…" the cat began, "Campus has several parts, however the elementary and middle schools are on the west side of the Quad, the elementary building being slightly larger. High school is on the east side of the Quad, it's the third largest building on grounds. If it helps, right now we're south of the Quad." The cat explained.

"Thanks, and I've been wondering…while passing through I noticed a sign that said this cafeteria serves breakfast, dinner and dessert. What about lunch?" Amy inquired.

"Lunch is only served here on weekends and holidays. Each school holds their own cafeteria that serves lunch to the students. It saves time that way." Amy nodded as she took in all the information. Someone had to do it, right?

"On the brochures I heard there's a shopping district too?"

"Yes, you can see it from the high school. It's along the shore and it's basically stores and a boardwalk that leads to a beach."

"This place has everything!" Sonic disrupted with a grin smeared on his face. Blaze's eyes lingered on him for a second before she rolled her eyes. Sonic's smile became uneasy. Did he do something wrong? Silver's eyes glared at him, and Sonic could've sworn that these two were the dullest Mobians on the planet. His emerald eyes gazed right back at Silver's honey colored ones.

"You have nice eyes!" Sonic commented with a smile. Maybe a compliment would lighten the mood? Apparently it didn't, considering how Silver began spluttering as his cheeks flushed a deep red.

"W-what?" Silver hissed while Blaze attempted to conceal an amused smirk. Amy was scowling.

"Sonic, why don't you ever say my eyes are pretty!" She whined with a pout. Sonic shrugged and Amy narrowed her eyes. She would get him back for this. She huffed and crossed her arms.

"What do you mean 'what'?" Sonic replied to Silver with confusion. "I just said you have nice eyes, dude. Calm down." Silver hastily turned his head away from the blue teen.

"Hey, Sonic?" Amy asked asked as she stirred her cereal. "Can you retell us the story of what happened the other day? You never really told us why we're here…" She recalled Sonic arriving in the afternoon just the day before telling everyone to pack up and get ready because they were moving again- nobody questioned him, assuming it'd be just like all the previous times Sonic had told them it was time to relocate. Sonic had been missing the entire day and returned suddenly, it didn't help add to the mystery that a helicopter filled with GUN soldiers was nearby to give them a lift. The next thing they knew, they were in the sky, briefly being told of their life to come. Only a few questions were exchanged, and no more could be asked as they were ushered to take placement exams. Later Sonic and Knuckles had to carry extra beds into their dorm-no doubt that's when Sonic told Knuckles what was happening. After that, everybody collapsed into their new cozy beds, completely exhausted.

"Oh, I forgot I never filled you in on the details!" Sonic gasped as he exchanged a look with Knuckles. "What happened was while I was out scavenging food, I got ambushed by GUN. They took me to the President and there he told me that there was something strange going on between Knux and I. He wanted to bring us here so they'd be able to keep an eye on us. So, yeah."

"Something strange?" Amy inquired with a raised brow.

Sonic nodded, "Yeah, a 'high concentration of Chaos Energy,' they called it. They want to keep tabs on it in case it goes haywire or is dangerous, something like that." He took a swig of his drink. "But whatever, I honestly don't really care much about it. I mean, we got a home and everything we need here. I think we got the good side of the deal."

"What I want to know is how they found us in the first place." Knuckles frowned.

"Well, this is GUN we're talking about. They probably have all types of equipment we'll never see." Amy sighed.

"Don't worry about it." Sonic waved his hand as a dismissal to the topic. "If something _does_ come up, we'll deal with that when we get there. I think we should start heading out; class starts soon and I need to drop you guys off first."

Everyone hummed in agreement and placed their empty trays at the center of the table. Knuckles carried them away to the trash before catching up to his group that was already heading down the escalators.

oOo

Amy huffed with annoyance as she was the first to be dropped off. School just had to bring her and Sonic apart!

"Now Ames, I know you don't like this-"

"Sonic, that's a huge understatement!" Amy hissed.

"But it's only for a couple hours! Besides, I'll go in with you."

"So, what do the rest of us do?" Knuckles asked.

"Wait here, it'll be quick." Sonic gestured to the steps that led to the middle school building. Knuckles rolled his eyes but complied, ushering the rest of the kids to sit down on the steps. Amy and Sonic entered the building and walked through the halls.

"Where do we even go?"

"Second floor," Amy answered immediately. "I saw it on a sign and read it on that brochure I snagged!"

"Awesome! Only Chaos can tell whether or not I'll get through school without getting lost."

Amy snickered. "Of course you'll get lost! You won't have me as your beautiful guide!" They found a staircase and began climbing the steps. "It's weird how they put the seventh graders on the first floor and eighth graders on the second. I mean, yeah it's organized, but everyone's separated!" Sonic hummed in response to her comment, unsure how to answer her blabber. He was used to this, and his technique worked most of the time. "I wonder if your school will do that."

"It won't. Your class stays together as you go to different rooms; my class gets separated every period. It's really weird."

"Let me guess, you got this from watching TV?"

"Yup."

They stopped in front of a door. "This is my room apparently. Ugh, I'm so not looking forward to this!" Her eyes widened before she began shuffling through her purse. "Ah, I almost forgot! I have your schedules." She handed Sonic the three schedules she picked up earlier.

"Thanks, Ames! I completely forgot about them."

"I know. Well, I guess I should go in…I'm still not looking forward to it." She let out a nervous giggle as she twirled a lock of her pink hair with her finger.

"Come on, you'll be fine." Sonic opened the door, only to see a few students and a teacher already in the class. "Hey, so this is my lil' sis, Amy. She's nice, fun and cool. She enjoys smashing things with a mallet, so don't make her mad!" Amy blushed madly. Geez, leave it to Sonic to make her become a mix of flattered and embarrassed!

"I'm sorry, he's a bit loud!" Amy assured the startled teacher. "I'm Amy Rose, this is my class? I'm a bit late, I know. Class started a week ago, but my brothers were just invited the other day!"

"Oh yes, I heard about that. There's an empty seat right by the window, right next to Honey." A yellow cat waved shyly in response. Amy turned and faced Sonic.

"I'm fine now, you can go." She shooed him away. Sonic left the room and shut the door behind him.

That was a lot easier than expected.

oOo

After meeting up with Knuckles, the two walked to the elementary school with the remaining kids. Cream was clutching onto Sonic's hand as if her life depended on it and Tails was comforting a jittery Cosmo, whose fears from earlier had returned.

"I'll take Cream to her class, and you two take Cosmo to hers. We'll save more time that way," said Knuckles. Sonic nodded and Cream walked over to Knuckles, who picked her up. He received a tight embrace around his neck as she buried her head into his shoulder.

Sonic and Tails walked beside Cosmo as they travelled throughout the building. Where was Amy when you needed her? The halls all looked the same-

"We're here, Sonic. You can stop walking now." Tails stifled a chuckle, while Cosmo attempted to conceal a small smile. Sonic looked behind him and noticed that he passed the two kids and almost kept going. He could've really gotten lost.

"So this is the room, eh?" Sonic mused as he rubbed the back of his neck. Tails knocked on the door while Cosmo took some deep breaths to keep herself calm. Would they say something about her? Would they be mean to her for being different?

The door opened, revealing a Mobian adult smiling gently. "Ah, you must be Cosmo? Come in, students are just beginning to settle down! You came early, how responsible of you!" She clasped her hands together. Cosmo, followed by Sonic and Tails, entered the classroom. It was warm, and spacious, a nice room for a second-grade class. "Are you in this class too?" The teacher asked Tails with a worried look. "I wasn't told another student would be joining."

Tails paused as his mouth struggled to respond. "Actually" Sonic began. "He's a 'prodigy' according to the evaluators. He's going to be taking advanced classes in the high school." Tails blushed lightly and Sonic beamed.

"Very cool!" The teacher smiled. She turned to Cosmo "There's an empty chair next to that raccoon. Her name is Marine; perhaps you should get to know each other?" Cosmo nodded and gave Sonic and Tails one last look. Sonic gave her a reassuring nod and she walked towards the orange haired, raccoon-hybrid.

"Listen, Miss, she's really nervous about being here. Make sure the other kids are nice to her, alright?"

The teacher nodded, "Of course! She seems like a very sweet girl, I'm sure she'll be fine."

After giving Cosmo one last wave, the two boys left the classroom and met up with Knuckles outside of the school.

"How was Cream?" Tails asked with concern.

"She's was fine. The moment she stepped in the room, all the kids were asking her to play with them. She left me a few seconds after." Knuckles frowned, only to have Sonic swing an arm around his shoulder.

"Aww, is Knuckles sad that our lil' girl doesn't need him anymore?" Sonic mocked in a baby voice. "That's okay, we can find another!"

"You make it sound like we're a couple." Knuckles rolled his eyes.

Sonic snickered as he backed away from the echidna, "Yeah, right!"

"Shouldn't we head to class now?" Tails asked.

"Eh, I guess," Sonic shrugged. Knuckles cracked his fingers and began walking ahead through the Quad to the building directly east of the elementary school. Sonic and Tails followed, of course, despite getting distracted a few times by the many different Mobians walking around of various ages.

The brothers all entered the building, finding it much larger and more confusing than the previous two schools.

"Wait, what's your first class?" Sonic asked Tails after suddenly remembering that they were supposed to be looking for the latter's classroom.

"Calculus." Tails answered as if he had memorized his schedule already. Who knows, he probably had.

"What the hell? What kind of class is that?" Knuckles frowned.

"It's an advanced math class specialized in engineering. I really hope they didn't overestimate me! What if it's too hard?" Tails cast Sonic a panicked look. Sonic shook his head.

"Don't worry about it; you'll just drop down to a lower math class. Honestly, you're an eight-year old in high school. As long as you do the best you can, I'll be proud of you." Sonic ruffled the younger's head who giggled in response. They continued walking down the hallway until they reached the class Tails claimed to be his.

"This is where I leave you two." Tails sucked in a heavy breath then exhaled. Knuckles bit the inside of his cheek while Sonic pouted.

"You don't want us to go in with you?" Sonic asked.

"Nah, I'll be okay. You two should head to class though. You might be late."

"Are you sure? Cause we don't mind, really…" Knuckles commented.

"I'm sure. Besides, I'll see you next period in English! I'll tell you about calculus then, okay?"

Sonic let out a defeated sigh. "Okay, well, see you soon buddy." Sonic said as he took a few steps backwards and awkwardly waved.

"Yeah, any trouble and just tell us." Knuckles smirked as he punched his palm intimidatingly. Tails nodded and waved back, opening the door and then closing it behind him.

Knuckles glanced at Sonic. "We should get going. Stay close, the halls are getting really crowded."

* * *

 _AN: lol, Knuckles likes grapes. Hope you enjoyed chapter one out of many. This story is gonna be long af, lord help us all._

 _Also, feel free to constructively criticize this. I enjoy writing for myself, but it would be nice to improve while I do so. That way if other people want to read this it's at least legible. Just a little note, this story will have action and adventure in it, but it's a story about Sonic's development...I took a psych class and now I can't write a story without diagnosing them :/_

 _I'm also Silvonic/Sonilver trash, hold on as I find a dumpster to hide in._


	2. Gotta Go Fast

_A/N: Wanted to upload the second chapter with the first because why not. I doubt the next couple of chaps won't be out for a while...nevermind the fact I'm like 17 chapters into this fic already._

 _Anyways, Shadow! He's a thing in this chapter. That's cool. Will anybody even care about this story? Probably not. That's also cool._

 _Lame title is lame._

* * *

 _ **Chapter 2: Gotta Go Fast**_

Sonic and Knuckles entered their history class with ease, surprisingly. However, by the time they entered the class, the bell had rung and several students were already seated. Sonic pursed his lips as he scanned the desks, finding none to have an empty seat beside them. It looked like it was going to be every Mobian for themselves this time.

Luckily for Sonic, his eyes caught the sight of a nice desk near the back of the room against the window. His eyes flickered to Knuckles who was still searching for a seat and a smirk curled his lip You snooze, you lose. Sonic walked towards the desk and sat down, only to see Knuckles gawking at him like a fool in the front of the room.

"You pick a seat and sit!" Sonic called out, only to have Knuckles pick a seat on the other end of the class behind a green hawk. He earned a few stares for his outburst, but whatever.

Sonic looked to his right only to see the albino hedgehog he sat with earlier. "Woah, it's you!" The other hedgehog jumped when he saw the blue teen; apparently he had been in deep thought. "Wow, what a small world, huh?" He winked at the kid and gave him a sly grin. The albino crossed his arms and glared at him.

"Hey, so where's your girlfriend?"

"Blaze and I aren't dating." Silver stated stiffly.

"Well, where is she then?"

"She obviously has a different class." His golden eyes narrowed at the blue teen.

"Of course. _Obviously_." Sonic mocked.

After that, Silver ignored Sonic, and it was probably for the better. Silver's attitude was getting on his nerves. He looked at the Mobian in front of him, with long purple hair and small yellow ears. He watched as the girl opened a pencil case and pulled out a purple gel pen. Oh shit. Did he come to class unprepared? He shot a quick glance at Silver, who also had a utensil in his hand as well as a binder. Dammit.

He tapped the purple girl's shoulder, and she turned around in her seat with surprise. "Hey, um, can I borrow a pencil? Sorry, I'm new to school and I didn't realize I came unprepared…" He flushed a bit, embarrassed as she studied him with green eyes. She lightly blushed as her eyes lingered on him for a bit too long and she nervously turned around and took a pencil from her case and handed it to him quickly.

"H-here you go! You can keep it if you want!"

"Thanks," Sonic smiled. "Oh, I'm Sonic! Who are you?" He asked cheerfully. It'd be good to make some friends.

"Ah, I'm Nina-I mean Mina! Mina Mongoose. Pleasure to meet you!"

"Mina's a pretty name!" Sonic complimented with a smile, ignoring the glare Silver sent his way. Seriously, he had a bone to pick with that guy that he was gonna settle it later.

"Thank you…" The teacher arrived to class late and disheveled. The books and folders in his hands were disarrayed and his glasses askew. He had blond hair and rushed to his desk quickly, where he opened his laptop and began taking attendance. His eyes roamed the room searching for two unfamiliar faces before letting a gentle smile grace his lips.

"Ah, the two new students on opposite sides of the room. You are Knuckles the Echidna and Sonic the Hedgehog, I presume?" Both boys exchanged a glance before they nodded hesitantly, a bit taken aback that their teacher was a _human_ and was talking to them. Many humans they encountered had openly expressed their distaste towards the 'inferior' Mobian race.

"Well, I'm Mr. Stewart. I teach History and I hope you get comfortable with your peers and this class, and wish for you to have a great start," He smiled sincerely.

"You're a human." Knuckles announced with distrust.

"Ah, human is the incorrect term. I am an Overlander, which just like Mobians, is a genetically mutated species as a result from the Xorda Gene Bombs. Please do not mistake me as those Overlanders who do not comprehend that Mobians and Overlanders are subspecies; there is no superior race. All Overlanders who claim to be 'humans' are wrong. You two may need to catch up on reading, there are books under your seats. We discussed a little bit about the invasion the first week of class and now we are focused on the details. There isn't too much you haven't learned." The teacher stated. The two brothers looked directly underneath them to find a textbook lying on a rack attached to their seats and simultaneously placed them on their desks. Mr. Stewart nodded with approval and began his lesson.

Sonic opened the book and began skimming. The book was huge and every page was filled with information dating back to the pre-Xorda invasion. The 21st century was the last for the humans, and the beginning for all the mutants that remained. Sonic couldn't help but briefly wonder what happened during the course of 12,000 years.

For the rest of the lesson Sonic struggled to sit still and pay attention, but somehow he pulled through. Knuckles on the other hand constantly dozed off and doodled on his paper. Sonic would often glance at him when he was on the verge spacing out. Ugh, he wasn't sure how he could stand five more periods of this! He spent the entire period with his head resting in the palm of his hand while watching Silver take notes. He was at first staring because he had no idea what to do and wanted a reference, but when the albino stopped and glared at him, he snickered and continued doing it as it must've gotten under the other's skin.

The bell rung and Sonic rushed to Knuckles's desk and waited for the older teen to get up so they could walk to English together. He was excited because Tails would be with them. Sonic practically stormed down the halls as he looked for his classroom number eagerly. He found the room and saw Tails standing in the front with a sheepish look on his face as he conversed with the teacher. Knuckles entered shortly after, making a comment on how the speedy, blue hedgehog needed to slow down and stop being so reckless. He had knocked books from other students' hands in his haste.

Sonic made a careless shrug as he walked towards his little bro and the teacher. She looked at the newcomers and began talking to them, saying her class requirements and explaining the curriculum. She sent them to the back without asking for questions. Knuckles sat in a seat all the way in the back and Tails sat in front of him. Sonic took the seat directly across from the yellow fox and hummed in approval as he leant back. This was good, he had his brothers next to him.

More students entered the class, including Silver and the purple feline Blaze (though they sat near the front), and began filling their seats. Sonic watched as Tails pulled out a pencil from his backpack.

"Woah, where'd you get that?" He nodded towards the bag.

"Oh, my Calculus teacher said that they had bags for us in the office so he sent me down to get mine. Our math book is really heavy! You guys didn't get your bags yet?"

Knuckles and Sonic shook their heads, "We'll get them later." Sonic twirled the pencil Mina gave him in his fingers. "So how was calc?"

"It was fine really. The teacher sat down with me to help me catch up while everyone else did book work. No one really talked because it's not a social class."

"That was nice of him," Knuckles responded and Tails smiled in agreement.

The rest of class went by smoothly; the teacher turned out to be a very social Mobian who enjoyed telling the class her stories but also knew to get to work. She gave her three new students a book to read that was supposed to delve into the theme of personal identity and handed them packets they were expected to annotate for an essay expected at the end of the school year.

Sonic and Knuckles waved Tails off as they separated to their next class, seeing as Tails had history next while they had science. The two walked to their class at a nice pace, not rushing because there was no reason to. They walked in shortly before the bell rang and greeted the teacher.

"Hey, Mister!" Sonic cheerfully greeted the tall, rounded professor. He had a rather long brown mustache, large nose and dark spectacles. He was definitely a human, or overlander? Whatever, same difference. He was putting together a small chip until he was called and fumbled over his work. He let out an annoyed groan.

"Who are you? You aren't in this class!" He scolded the blue teen.

"Well, duh, of course I am!" Sonic rolled his eyes as he handed his teacher his schedule. The teacher snatched it from his hands and walked to his desk, typing keys into a computer. He returned to Sonic and handed him back his schedule.

"Very well. I am Doctor Robotnik and you are my new students. Blue, you are to sit in the second row, left hand side, aisle seat. Red, you get the window seat, third row."

Sonic smirked as he walked to his seat. Knuckles sat almost directly behind him! Still though, he got an aisle seat. Damn.

Silver entered the class and narrowed his eyes as he begrudgingly took the seat right behind Sonic. The blue teen merely stared at the albino with an amused twinkle in his eyes over the other's evident irritation.

Class went on for a good fifteen minutes of Sonic annoying Silver by stretching his arms in his face and occasionally resting his elbows on the other's table while Doctor Robotnik gave his lesson. Of course, there were a few minutes Sonic paid attention to the teacher... was it just him or was did the teacher have an egg-like physique? While the teacher explained why science was important, Sonic couldn't get the image out of his mind. Weird.

The door opened abruptly, breaking Sonic away from the image of the similarities between his teacher and eggs. He curiously shifted his gaze to the other side of the room where a green, hedgehog-hybrid stood at the door with a superior stance. He wore a leather jacket with flames, torn black skinny jeans and a ripped, white wife beater that was light enough to expose two gashes in his stomach. Ouch. He looked very similar to Sonic, except for his wild gaze, slightly shorter green hair that was _extremely_ unkempt, and piercing, light blue eyes. He held a pair of red sunglasses and slowly put them on as he strutted into class. Sonic narrowed his eyes and instantly disliked the guy; he focused his attention to tapping his pencil against the table to a beat he came up with.

"Scourge! You're late!" Robotnik confronted the teen. "I'll have to give you another detention!"

The teen rolled his eyes and sneered, revealing a set of razor sharp teeth. "Too bad, my schedule is booked."

The teacher growled in response. "Fine, just take your seat." The green hedgehog walked towards the seat next to Sonic and sat lazily in his chair with a bored expression. He looked around the room and then lingered his gaze on Sonic. _When the hell did this guy get here?_ Sonic felt the other's eyes on him and dared to look back with an annoyed glare. The two held their gaze for a long moment before Scourge grinned mischievously.

"Heya, Blue, what's a pretty boy like you doin' here?"

Sonic raised his brows with mild surprise. "It's Sonic. I'm here for the same reason everyone else is." He rolled his eyes.

"Hey, how 'bout we blow this place and have some fun?" He said with a wink while Sonic glared.

"How about 'thanks but no thanks.' Sorry, not interested."

Sonic heard someone snicker from behind him, and recognized the voice as Silver's. Sonic turned around in his seat and gave Silver the 'I'm watching you' gesture as a way to show him that he was _so_ gonna get it later.

"You! Blue-hybrid! Pay attention to the lesson!" The teacher yelled.

"Alright, Eggman!" Sonic yelled back making the class go silent. The teacher was fuming for being talked back to.

"Detention!"

Sonic himself was near blowing a fuse. "Dammit!" A detention on the first day. The teacher returned to his lesson in haste and Sonic sulked in his seat.

"Nice show, babe! Almost wish I could join you during detention! Wow, Eggman? Never thought of that one!"

"Can you not." Sonic hissed.

"Psst, Sonic!" Knuckles whispered as he threw a crumpled piece of paper at the teen's head.

"What!" Sonic whispered back harshly.

"You okay?"

"No." Sonic groaned. "Go back to sleep, Knuckles."

oOo

Lunch came after another agonizing twenty minutes for Sonic. The moment the bell rang, the teacher held Sonic back to explain that his detention would be on Wednesday since he would be busy on projects for the next two days. Sonic huffed in annoyance and left the class in a foul mood with Knuckles, who had waited for him by the door.

They walked to a cafeteria much smaller than the one they had entered earlier that morning, and sat at a large table with enough space for the three of them. All the three-seaters were taken. Sonic laughed as Tails came over and greeted him with a big hug and eagerly sat in his seat.

"I'll get a meal for us." Knuckles said as he stood and left the table.

"Did something happen?" Tails asked. "Usually you'd do that."

"I just had a horrible last period and Knuckles knows I'm in that easily-frustrated mood right now. Plus, he wants a good look at all the other students." Tails nodded.

"Oh? Please elaborate?"

"Ah, I called my teacher 'Eggman' and he got mad so he gave me a detention. Then Silver was there and he's been having such an attitude all day and I'm getting pretty sick of it and ugh, this other guy named Scourge. They really pissed me off."

"Oh, I see." Tails sighed lightly. "Maybe you should talk with Silver and see what his problem is. Maybe he was just having a rough morning?"

Sonic stared at Tails as he contemplated the idea. Maybe he should talk to Silver, maybe even form a truce? Maybe. "Alright, I'll talk to him. I was planning on confronting him later anyways."

Knuckles returned with a tray of three slices of pizza and drinks. "Sorry, no chilidogs. Not until next week." Sonic let out a frustrated whine as he picked up his slice and took a big bite. Well, he might as well eat away all his problems and go on a run later. Eating and running always made him get over things quickly.

"Oi, Blue!" Sonic looked over his shoulder to see Scourge coming after him.

"What do you want, Scourge? I'm eating."

"Just wanted to know if you changed your mind on that offer, babe."

"No."

"Get outta here!" Knuckles growled.

"Oh! Is he your boyfriend? You could do so much better, babe. C'mon, I'll show you a good time." Scourge winked seductively.

"He's not my-"

"I'm not his boyfriend!" Knuckles banged his fists on the tables as he stood up quickly. Scourge backed up, a bit intimidated by the echidna-hybrid's fury. He _did_ have spikes on his gloves.

"Whatever. I'll see you later, Blue. My girl can't be kept waiting."

"…He has a girlfriend?" Tails asked. "But he was flirting with you!"

"No Tails, that's not flirting. That's being an annoying prick." Sonic responded before looking at Knuckles. "You can sit down now; we're getting enough stares as it is." Knuckles complied, still shaking with anger. "Geezus, I didn't know I was that bad of a guy that you'd feel so insulted." Sonic commented with a frown and feigned hurt as he took a bite. Honestly, he didn't care, but whatever. Knuckles needed to calm down and the mood needed to lighten up.

"I hate that we always get mistaken as a couple. It's so stupid."

"Very, but what're you gonna do? Don't worry, maybe one day you'll find a girl and it'll all stop. That is, if you can get one."

"Can you just shut up?"

"Nope."

oOo

From a chair not too far, a white bat eyed the loud echidna.

"That red one has quite the mouth on him, don't ya think?" She smirked. Her friend in front of her only scowled as he watched the trio. "I've never seen them around here before. I gotta admit though that the blue one is a cutie and the red one is quite the hunk."

"Hmph."

"Oh, come off it!" She huffed in annoyance. Honestly, the guy she was talking to could be such a brick wall. "I think I'll go talk to him. Be right back, hun." She left quickly with a confident look on her face while the other rolled his eyes as he leant back and crossed his arms. Hopefully this would be amusing.

oOo

"Wow, Tails! I didn't know he was gonna be your robotics teacher! First thing first, when you see him, you'll notice he looks like a _giant_ , talking egg. That's okay, because I did too-"

"Heya, boys!" said the white bat as she took the seat next to echidna. Sonic paused mid-sentence and looked up. Knuckles turned to look at her from over his shoulder and almost dropped his mouth. The girl was a very beautiful, busty, white bat with aqua eyes and charming tan skin. She had a shy smile and innocent look in her eyes; an obvious act to anybody who knew her. "I'm Rouge the Bat and who are you handsome fellows? I'm assuming you're new?"

"What're you doing here?" Knuckles huffed in annoyance.

"Wow, Knuckles, talk about rude." Sonic rolled his eyes. "Sorry, about his attitude. It'll clear up soon."

"I see. Well, my partner and I couldn't help but notice your little conflict with Scourge. If you two need the details on anyone here, all ya need to do is ask."

"What makes you think we need your hel-"

"Shut up, Knuckles. Can you tell me about Scourge and Silver? Dr. Robotnik?"

Rouge nodded with a pleased smile. "Scourge and I go back. He used to be a partner of mine during a treasure hunt, but we had a bit of a fall out. He dates Fiona Fox and hangs around his Destructix gang, so they call themselves. He's the school's bad boy, been to prison several times. There's a rumor that he killed his own father. He also flirts with many girls, rarely with boys. You must be an exception." Rouge tapped her cheek as she began to deepen her thought. "Silver, as far as I know, moved here sometime last year with a feline Mobian. He's normally very quiet and recluse, but I've seen a bit of his soft side. He's also incredibly naïve, from what I gathered." She let out a small chuckle. "Dr. Robotnik used to be my teacher. He's insanely strict, but if you push his buttons enough, he just becomes a grouchy, old man. It's really amusing. He's a genius and specializes in robotics. After school he normally works on his inventions."

"What about you?" Knuckles asked with a raised brow.

"I'm a specialized treasure hunter who loves gems. I have friends in high places so I'm not one to cross." She batted her eyelashes at him. "Honey, if you want to know more about me, just ask me on a date." Knuckles glared at her and she shrugged with a cocky grin. "Your loss."

"Who's your partner?" Tails asked curiously. The bat girl looked at the kid with confusion before answering.

"He's not one to talk or socialize. He can be such a killjoy too. He works with me, and you could say we're friends despite certain circumstances."

"Which are?"

"Oops, gotta run! See you later!" She waved the boys goodbye and quickly left. The bell rang shortly after and lunch was over.

oOo

After lunch, a double period of pre-Algebra came for the two teens. Needless to say, it was boring and completely pointless.

Soon, Gym came and the two boys were siked. They walked to the locker room and knocked on the door to one of the coaches' office.

"Sonic? Knuckles?" The Mobian elder asked. The two boys nodded as the teacher handed them clothes and locks with their locker number and combinations written onto sticky notes. They followed suite with their teacher's orders and found their lockers, thankfully nearby each other. Sonic changed into his white t-shirt and blue shorts, the shorts ending up a bit too short and tight for his liking. Knuckles changed into his matching clothes, content to find them a perfect size.

"I don't know, it's a bit too small…" Sonic complained.

Knuckles rolled his eyes. "Shut up, they're fine. Maybe just a bit short but it's nothing worth whining about." Sonic glared at Knuckles as they exited the locker room and entered the gym. The two looked around confused as they walked.

"There's Silver…" Sonic muttered to himself as he looked for anyone familiar.

"And there's Scourge."

"Are you serious?"

"Yup."

"Well, this sucks. Let's go to where Silver is because I honestly have no clue on what we're doing and he's our best option."

"Sounds reasonable."

The two walked over to the white hedgehog. "Hey, Silver? Can you tell us what to do?" Knuckles asked the startled hedgehog.

"Choose an activity to do, then do it. It's simple."

"Oh…well, what activities are available?"

"Boxing, hurdles, football, soccer, basketball, running, baseball, tennis-"

"Woah, running?" Sonic asked with a spark in his eyes.

"Yeah, it's like the easiest activity here."

"I'm gonna try boxing. See you later, Sonic." Knuckles told Sonic as he half-jogged away, leaving the blue teen with Silver.

"Can you show me where the running is?" Sonic asked awkwardly, seeing as how the two were currently on bad terms. Sonic silently beckoned his twin tailed brother over when he caught sight of him emerging from the locker room. Silver sighed audibly with an annoyed expression.

"Might as well since I'm heading there too."

"You run?" Sonic asked curiously.

"No. Like I said, it's the easiest activity to do."

oOo

Tails and Sonic were a few feet behind Silver as they walked near a large field. The two were having an animated conversation over their science teacher and the day so far. They reached their activity teacher and waited patiently for instructions.

"Alright, unlike last time, I want none of you doing nothing! You either walk or run, nothing else. Got it?" Murmurs of 'yes' and 'got it' were emitted from the crowd and everyone began to walk onto the track field.

For the first five minutes Sonic and Tails continued their conversation and talked as they kept a steady jog, but Sonic frowned as he saw nobody running. What the hell? Silver was far behind him with headphones in his ear as he walked. Weak!

"Nobody's running!" Sonic voiced his thoughts to Tails. They were currently in the lead aside from a few other kids, but whatever! "I wish somebody would race me!"

"I could race you?" Tails suggested and Sonic smiled.

"Are you sure buddy cause-"

"Unless you can find someone else." Tails shrugged. He wasn't really in a racing mood. At least not today.

Sonic looked at all the teens behind him, not noticing a Mobian walking up to him.

"You should be careful what you wish for." A dark Mobian with red eyes stared at Sonic intensely, his cool and smooth voice startling the blue teen.

"You wanna race?"

"Sure," the black and red streaked Mobian replied with a cocky grin. "I've been getting pretty bored myself, I'll have to warn you though, I've never been beat."

Sonic's eyes sparked at the challenge. "Well, I guess we'll just see about that!" The two stopped in their place and got into their starting positions. Several students looked up to see what was going on. Did somebody dare challenge the school's most mysterious person to a _race_?

Tails stopped. "Ready…set…GO!" The two took off each with a dust trail. They were both neck and neck, each quickly increasing their speed so that they surpassed the average rate. Sonic's grin grew larger as he found a worthy opponent. Finally! Somebody who could keep up to his pace!

The darker hybrid's face contorted into a sneer, and his body moved side to side- as if he were skating. Sonic became slightly confused over the strange motion, but decided it wasn't worth worrying about. At least until the race was finished. The black-haired hedgehog began pushing ahead, and Sonic attempted to catch up- not aware of the speed he was already achieving. He hardly felt the burning in his feet until he pushed himself further, causing the darker hedgehog to narrow his eyes.

"What the hell are you?" Before the other hedgehog could get an answer, the blue hybrid fell to the earth with an anguished cry. Sonic let out a stream of curses he wouldn't normally say as he examined his shoes. Shit, the soles burned off. He checked his own feet quickly and saw they were red with large burns.

Shadow had sped past the blue hedgehog when he fell, but returned to see what the other was up to. He watched as the other hybrid cursed with his eyes lingering on the burns. It took only him a second to understand what had happened, but he was still questioning _how_ it happened. How could a normal Mobian run so fast? It would explain why he sensed a lot of _that_ energy, but how could this common kid be a Rank A? He would tell the Doctor about it later.

"I know I'm handsome, but could you quit ogling me like that?"

His eyes met with the green of his rival, who yet again held a cocky grin on his face. "I thought you were in pain." The black hedgehog glared.

"I heal fast." He replied with a shrug before playing with the remains of his shoe. He stuck his arm through the hole his shoe's soles should've been and made a comedic frown. "Shoot, there goes my bracelet." From where he sat, he threw the remains of the pair into a trashcan that was nearby-most likely a part of the hiking trail. "They totally clashed anyways."

"Are you a Rank A?" The darker hedgehog asked, ignoring the blue's previous comments.

"Um, a what? Oh, yeah, I don't feel compelled to answer anything from you until I get your name." Sonic answered with a smirk. The new Mobian crossed his arms where he stood, looking down at Sonic who still sat on the ground.

"Shadow, Shadow the Hedgehog," He paused. "And you are?"

"Sonic's the name, speed's my game!" Sonic beamed while pointing to himself with his thumb. "So, what's this rank thing you were talking about?"

"Ranks, a term used by GUN to classify the amount of Chaos Energy in an individual. You seem to have a high concentration of it…" His voice trailed off as he observed Sonic. Somehow, Sonic didn't seem like a Rank A. He radiated too much energy…but that was impossible.

"Er, well that's why I was admitted to this school. GUN detected it and they want me on their watch until they know for sure that I'm safe." Sonic stretched his arms into the air. "I don't think I'm dangerous. I've always been the way I am and nothing's ever happened. That's probably what it is. Nothing."

Sonic got on his bare feet and cracked his knuckles. Shadow began walking past him towards the way they came. "We'd best get back before they do something about it."

Sonic followed. "Like what?"

Shadow smirked, but didn't reply. They walked in silence for a little bit as Sonic concentrated on healing his feet quickly.

"You know, if you're not gonna tell me I'll find out for myself." Sonic said as they exited the forest.

"I'm sure with your recklessness, you'll find out eventually." Sonic frowned at the darker hedgehog. They began walking across the soccer field to get back to their class. It turned out they went quite the distance during their little race. A lot of stares from Mobians in different activities were sent their way, most of them awestruck. Shadow glared at anybody who looked at him, whereas Sonic winked and waved at anyone who caught his eye. He was a sucker for attention.

They made it to their class-Tails practically ran up to Sonic and jumped into his arms. "Sonic, that was amazing! I knew you were fast, but not _that_ fast!"

"Oh, so you underestimated me?" Sonic asked with a raised eyebrow as he teased the younger hybrid. "Nah, I surprised myself to be honest."

"What happened to your shoes?"

"They burned off so I left them. There was barely anything left so it wouldn't hurt to leave them."

Shadow walked closely behind the other two Mobians in deep thought. Sonic kept sneaking a peek at the darker Mobian, for once taking in the other's features. The other had spiky, black hair with red highlights, brown skin, red eyes and he was lean with nice muscles. Sonic felt his heart pound, and wondered if it was just because he had a racing partner or something else.

Shadow looked up and realizing that the blue hybrid was staring at him. "Is something the matter?" He furrowed his brows at the noticeable blush on Sonic's cheeks.

Sonic lightly shook his head and his blush subsided. "Nope, just wondering what you're thinking about." He easily lied.

"It's none of your concern." Shadow snapped.

Sonic blinked in surprise before frowning. "Yeah, whatever." He looked at Tails and pointed to himself as he mouthed 'he's thinking about me,' with a quick wink. The blond boy let out a small laugh and Sonic beamed.

oOo

Sonic and Tails met up with Knuckles in the locker room and then changed into their normal clothes.

"So, how was boxing?" Tails asked.

"Really fun. I punched the bag all the way across the room. I wasn't even trying!" Knuckles answered proudly. His eyes darted between Sonic and Tails. "How was running?"

Before Sonic could answer, Tails had already begun. "Sonic was amazing! He was so fast! You should've been there! Too bad he doesn't have shoes anymore…" Knuckles furrowed his brows at blue Mobian, who shrugged.

"Don't worry about the shoes; I'm borrowing a pair from the school." Sonic snickered, "Heh, _borrowing_. More like mine forever, I ain't got money!"

"Not that, you idiot. I want to hear about your speed."

"Oh. _Oh_! Yeah, it was great! Like, I didn't even know I was going fast until my feet started burning up? I felt like I could go faster but my shoes were like, nah. So, yeah."

Tails opened his mouth to speak but closed it quickly, pursing his lips in deep thought.

"Yo, Tails? What's up?" Sonic asked, catching his brother's hesitation.

"You must've developed a lot of friction to travel at such high speeds…your feet constantly hitting the ground and generating a lot of heat…I wonder…"

"You wonder?" Knuckles asked impatiently.

"Hmmm, I'll find a solution later. Shouldn't we pick up the girls?"

"Yeah, can you pick them up for me and take them to the house? I have a bone to pick with Silver."

"Sure, whatever." Knuckles huffed as he slammed his locker shut and placed a lock on it.

Tails bit his lip as he looked towards Sonic. "Remember what I said earlier, okay? Maybe he just had a bad day, so talk first, then brawl if you have to." Sonic nodded.

"Sure thing, kiddo."

* * *

 _A/N: Looks like Eggy got that teaching degree he talked about at the end of Sonic Generations hehe. Shadow's a little ray of sunshine, ain't he? Sonic might be a little gay for him. Just a little. Just kidding! Sonic isn't gay, he's gray-ace. Notice how he wasn't attracted to Shadow until **after** they raced. _

_I may also be Sonourge trash. Fight me. Okay, please don't. I'll just go back to my dumpster._


	3. Friend or Foe

_A/N: New chap! Woo! Progress. I used a double negative in my last Author's Note that I was too lazy to correct it so I'll just upload this now and then start bringing on the later chapters slowly because they still need to be redone and edited to fit all my ideas on what'll happen during the school year._

 _Any constructive criticism is welcomed wholeheartedly. One thing though is that dialogue may be grammatically incorrect, I tend to do that to try making the characters sound more natural. For example, Sonic didn't have a proper education when he grew up, so every once in awhile he'll say things structured wrong. If something comes off as really out of place though, feel free to correct me! I'm very prone to making mistakes, and help would make me happy. Not just criticism, but tips/advice are also great!_

 _This chapter is out with chapter 4 because it leads into the next one. I guess you could say it's a transition chap?_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 3: Friend or Foe**_

Sonic went to the main office and picked up his and Knuckles' bags for school. He might as well since the other was well on his way home. He stuffed the one bag inside the other to save space and strapped it to his back.

He walked out of the school and stood by the steps. He scoped the quad in the hopes of finding his target with ease. No luck. He waited a few moments before walking home. Maybe he would settle the issue at dinner. He'd probably go on a run later, maybe he'd see the grumpy hybrid then?

Too preoccupied with his thoughts, he failed to notice the green hybrid walking over to him, slinging an arm around his neck.

"Hey, baby blue! Heard you caused quite the stir at gym! Sorry I wasn't there, my girl and I ended up cutting. Next time I'll be with you, if that makes you feel better." Scourge said in a sultry tone. Sonic rolled his eyes as he pushed the other's arm off.

"Whatever. Hey, do you know where Silver would be at this time? I have some things I would like to say to him."

"The white hedgehog? Aw, baby, he's not worth your looks. C'mon, I'm pretty sure the kid's a virg-"

"Oh my god, shut up!" Sonic groaned, the other's inappropriate nature was really annoying. "I just wanna know his problem is and tell him that I'm not putting up with it."

"Oh." Scourge said with a mischievous smile on his lips. "So, if I do tell you where he is, what will I get?"

"That's only _if_ you even know where he is in the first place!" Sonic crossed his arms and stared at the green hybrid with disbelief.

"Baby, I can find out anything! But first, you gotta do something for me."

"Are you bribing me-"

"C'mon, babe! I'm sure you'll enjoy it too! It's honestly not that bad of a preposition…" There was a gleam in Scourge's eye that made Sonic slightly uncomfortable, but he heaved a heavy sigh and motioned for the other to continue.

"Fine, let me hear it first."

"Sweet! So, like, my girlfriend has a score to settle this weekend outta town, and I was wondering if you'd like to go to the Lounge with me?"

Sonic was taken by surprise. "Huh? Wait, what?"

"The Lounge. You party all night and get drunk as hell! It's pretty awesome!"

Sonic briefly considered this. "Dude, I don't think your girlfriend would appreciate you flirting with me."

"What she doesn't know won't hurt her." He shrugged. "Besides, I'm sure she's flirted with plenty other of guys; it doesn't matter."

Sonic bit his lip. "Sure, I'll go with you, but you have to agree to no funny business. We're just hanging out."

"No funny business." Scourge responded with a shit-eating grin. In foresight, Sonic had a feeling this wouldn't be such a great idea.

"Hey, can I bring my family?"

"Nah, the club only hosts teens at night. The red guy can come, though."

"Then alright, I'll go with you. Now tell me where Silver is."

"Be right back, babe. Gotta go dig through some files. Wait here." Scourge ran towards the school's Headquarters north of the quad at a quick speed. Sonic himself thought it fast, but not fast enough to really impress him.

He sat on the steps of the school building and stretched, occasionally looking over at the Headquarters while he waited for the green hybrid to return with that creepy smile on his face.

Sonic chuckled to himself. Okay, perhaps he was being a bit too judgmental. Scourge could be a flirt, but that didn't necessarily mean that he was a bad guy. Sure, his teeth were like razors and the scars he showed on his stomach were intimidating, but Sonic couldn't help but see a lot of himself in Scourge. The resemblance was scary. Scourge was more muscled than he was, and perhaps a few centimeters taller, but not by much. He also seemed a bit...abrasive, but he knew better than to judge people on their appearance. He looked up and saw that the green Mobain was running towards him.

"So, I know where he lives. I'll walk you to his place. Not too far from mine."

Sonic stood up and began walking alongside Scourge. "Where did you-"

"Broke into the system. Got access. You get the idea." Scourge shrugged.

"Couldn't that get you into trouble?"

"Oh, plenty. But hey, I've been to prison a few times, a few more won't hurt. Assuming they catch me." Sonic opened his mouth to respond, perhaps to scold Scourge for his delinquency. That was before, however, he realized it would be hypocritical of him to do so, seeing as he wasn't one to abide by laws either. He decided to let the subject drop.

After a while of walking, they headed down the elevators that lead to the dorms; all of which were located _beneath_ school grounds. Sonic endured listening to Scourge babble about himself. He was used to it after being with Amy for a few years.

"So, enough about me, babe. What about you?" Scourge asked with a wink after talking about his latest crime. Something about using his gang to steal from some place? Sonic couldn't recall the details though. He looked at Scourge for a moment, a bit startled by the question.

"Er, what's there to tell?" He asked with a raised brow.

"You. Your story. Anything."

"Um, well I lived an okay life. Nothing too special. Met Knuckles then found the kids. Came here. Yeah…" Sonic shrugged. He wasn't sure if he could tell Scourge his whole story, but a brief summary should do enough.

"Sounds boring. Blue, with me in your life, I can promise you you'll feel _alive_."

"I'll see if you live up to your word."

"So, now tell me about you."

"I like to run and eat. Not much to say, really." Scourge gave Sonic an irritated growl.

"You know, you're really dull. Good thing you're cute."

"I try and thanks," Sonic brushed back the hair that went over his shoulder suavely. "You just don't understand. I'm way too cool for you." He shot Scourge a look that made the other chuckle.

"Not _completely_ dull, but still close. And weird."

Sonic huffed and put his hands on his hips. "Can't win them all." Sonic looked at his surroundings and realized that they all looked familiar. "Yo, I said Silver's place. Not mine."

"This is the kid's place!" Scourge growled as he pointed to the second floor of Sonic's building.

" _Ohhhh_." Sonic nodded. "I knew that."

"Yeah, whatever. You and I are still partying this Saturday." Scourge practically purred into Sonic's ear.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Now go away." Scourge backed up with his mischievous grin and walked away. For some reason, Sonic kept staring at the other's back wearily as something about that kid really threw him off edge. His mind was telling him that they were similar, yet his gut told him that was _not_ the case. It was like if he turned his back, he'd feel a knife penetrate him. Or at least that's what his animalistic instinct was telling him.

When Scourge was well out of sight, Sonic walked up the iron steps to the second floor. On the small balcony he shifted awkwardly before knocking on the door. His knuckles rapped against the door with a small beat he would occasionally hum to himself throughout the day or when he lulled the kids to sleep. The door went ajar and the lavender feline from earlier stood in the doorway.

"What is it you want?" She asked sternly, but with politeness.

"Um, is Silver here? I need to talk to him about something." The feline, Blaze, Sonic recalled, looked back and sighed.

"He is here, but not in the mood to talk. Perhaps another time?" She suggested.

"I'll be quick." Sonic reasoned. "I just want one thing off my chest." Blaze nodded and opened the door all the way, leaning against the doorway and gesturing for the blue hedgehog to enter.

"I'll be at the library if you need me, Silver." She said aloud before shutting the door behind her. Sonic awkwardly walked towards a couch in the center of the room, the ivory hybrid nowhere in sight. The entire place resembled much like Sonic's, the only difference was the placing of certain furniture, but the layout of the room and designs on the furniture were practically the same.

"What do you want?" Silver asked with a hint of bitterness in his tone as he exited his bedroom, arms crossed.

Sonic glared. "This is the exact reason why I'm here!" Sonic exclaimed as he gestured towards his classmate. "You have an attitude and I don't like it!"

"You're being hypocritical right now." Silver rolled his eyes. "You have an attitude yourself."

"But I didn't start it! You were really rude to me and my family." Sonic frowned.

"Well, sorry. I was in a bad mood, and I'm still in that mood so if you could just _leave me alone_ -"

"So, what?" Sonic frowned. "Yeah, I understand you were in a bad mood, but you shouldn't be rude to people who've never wronged you! Especially if most of them are young!"

Silver rubbed his temple. "You don't understand anything at all."

"Really? I don't? Try me."

"Look, I've been really stressed lately. Practically everything that I'm not used to gets on my nerves. I just need time to cool off. I'm _really_ sorry if I offended you or anything, but please, just give me some space."

Sonic paused awkwardly. "Well, okay. Glad we came to an understanding, but you should really work on directing your anger someplace else."

"Yeah, I know. Sorry." Silver shrugged as he plopped himself onto his couch.

"You know, it doesn't hurt to talk about these things." Sonic watched as Silver raised a brow towards him. "Sometimes it helps. Whenever Knuckles or the kids have a problem, I let them vent it out to me."

"Awesome. My own psychiatrist." Silver sarcastically muttered.

"Hey, and I'm free too!" Sonic joked, causing Silver's lips to curl. "C'mon, humor me."

Silver paused and gave Sonic a once over before letting out a heavy sigh. Might as well get it off his chest. "Well, I've been having these intense dreams lately. They're pretty realistic too. They happen every once in awhile, but they get more detailed as they come. The first time it was just me, then the other time had Blaze. Then this weird dude who didn't have a mouth was in it last night...It was basically about the end of the world."

Sonic nodded with understanding. "I get ya. I had this crazy dream last night, but it was more of a monster-type thing? I don't really get it myself, but I don't think it means much. I mean, they're just dreams, right?" Sonic briefly remembered waking up in terror after coming face-to-face with those reptilian eyes. As the day progressed he had forgotten about most of the details, but the green eyes were still pretty vivid.

"Blaze seems to think so too. But the thing is, I'm a Rank A who specializes in psychokinesis. I don't think it's just a dream, I think it's a vision. Wouldn't be the first time. But it was like the whole world was on fire! That the fate of the world rested in my hands." He clenched his fists, but then relaxed them.

Sonic sat next to Silver and looked into the other's caramel colored eyes. "Silver, I can assure you, no matter what happens, it'll all be okay." Sonic gave him a genuine smile. "What happens will happen, whether your dream comes true or not, and we'll fix it." Sonic lightly nudged Silver's arm. "But don't worry about it, okay? The world doesn't rest on your shoulders so don't act like it does. Just live your live, don't dwell on the past or the future. Just stick with the now." Sonic shot Silver a small wink.

Silver stared at Sonic and felt a small smile curl his lip. His eyes met Sonic's emerald eyes and lingered there for a little too long. They were really captivating and he felt an urge to repeat Sonic's compliment from earlier.

Sonic made an uneasy smile as he felt the weight of the albino's gaze. "Um, Silver? Are you okay?"

Silver nodded frantically and became flustered. "Y-yeah. Sorry, just thinking about your advice. It really helped. Thanks."

Sonic grinned at the other teen as he sat up. "No problem! Well, I best head downstairs. We're neighbors, did ya know? I oughta get there before Amy throws a fit. See ya later, Silv!" Sonic waved to Silver as he headed towards the door. Silver slowly and sheepishly waved back.

"See you later." He replied, his blush increasing as the door shut behind the blue teen. He was caught staring into the other's eyes! That was so embarrassing. It wasn't _his_ fault that they were a bright green. It also didn't hurt that Sonic was a sight for sore eyes with his handsome features. Silver was questioning the sudden heat in his cheeks. He let out a heavy sigh as he waited for the blush to subside. He would hide these feelings for now, then ask Blaze about them when he felt the time was right.

oOo

Sonic ran down the iron steps and opened the door downstairs. Seeing Amy on the couch doing some homework with Cream coloring in a book while laying on her stomach on the floor.

"Hey, girls! What's up?" Sonic said with a smile.

Cream looked up at Sonic with a gleeful look. "I made so many friends today! Everybody wanted to play with me!" He took the seat next to Amy while Cream got off the floor with her book in hand and crawled into Sonic's lap. Cheese was sleeping soundly on a pillow that had fallen to the floor earlier. "They loved Cheese a lot. He's really tired!"

"That's awesome!" Sonic lightly kissed Cream's forehead and held onto her side for support. He looked at Amy. "And how was your day?"

Amy took her eyes off her assignment to shoot Sonic a pout before returning to work. "I made a few friends, but like, I don't like doing all the work." She groaned. "I think I might take a nap soon unless we do something fun, but Honey wanted to visit me later and hang out. She's pretty nice."

"That's good." Sonic responded as Cream got comfortable in his lap and rested her head on his chest. "So where are Tails and Knuckles? I haven't heard them."

"Oh, they went out. Tails needed to do something and Knuckles offered to accompany him." Amy shrugged.

"Did Cosmo go with them?"

She shook her head and pointed towards the girls' bedroom with her thumb. "She's taking a nap. Her new friend is apparently very energetic. She's completely worn out." Amy paused for a moment. "I think I'll make Cosmo and Cream some pudding later. I saw some in the cupboards."

"Those are stocked?"

"Yeah, I checked as soon as I got home."

"Will I be getting a treat?" Sonic asked with a smirk.

"Duh! I'll probably make a pie though, and everyone can share it." Amy looked at Sonic. "So how was Silver?"

"He was actually pretty good. It was just like what Tails said; he was in a bad mood."

Amy smiled. "That's good to hear. He seemed like a cool guy under that cold exterior. Blaze also seems really nice, I'd like to talk to her more. Maybe tomorrow." She caught sight of Sonic's new shoes. "It was about time you got rid of those ripped ones, but those are hideous."

"Well, whatcha gonna do? They belong to the school for gym; do you honestly think they care about style?"

"They should! Anyways, what made you finally realize the other ones sucked?"

"The soles came off. Like, completely. There was barely anything left of them. I ran way too fast."

"Nice." Amy giggled as she put her homework away into a cute pink backpack. She put her legs on the couch and rested her head on Sonic's shoulder as she turned on the TV.

"What? Am I a pillow now?" Sonic laughed lightly, seeing as Cream had already fallen asleep.

Amy hummed as she stretched her legs over the armrest and shifted her position. Her head tilted to the side so she could watch the show playing. After a while, she began to doze off and Sonic had also joined her.

oOo

Tails and Knuckles had walked beyond the school, the latter was convinced the two were in unrestricted territory. It was south of the Quad and elevators, a few minutes further than the Training Area and Lounge. No other students were in sight.

"Are you sure we're allowed to be here?" Knuckles asked lowly.

Tails nodded. "Nothing says we _can't_ be here, so why not?"

"You know, that's the kind of talk that gets people in jail."

Tails chuckled. "We're almost there, don't worry. He pointed to a lonely building up ahead. "That's it."

"What the hell is that?"

"The storage unit. They hold stuff from all classes in all three schools there."

"How do you know this again?"

"My teacher told me."

Knuckles sighed. "I don't know Tails. Maybe it isn't a good idea to come here."

"I just want to check the inventory; it'll be like five minutes."

Knuckles nodded. Soon enough, the two reached the door. The red Mobian released an annoyed groan.

"It's locked!"

"Give me a sec…" Tails looked at the security keypad before quickly typing in a code. Knuckles's eyes widened when he saw the blond do such a risky thing. What if the alarms went off? After another two seconds, the doors opened and the security was lowered. Knuckles stared at the boy in shock. "C'mon! I thought you wanted to leave quickly!" The fox hybrid continued as he fastened his pace into the building. He led Knuckles to the science department and quickly examined all the equipment. He saw the materials he was sure would be beneficial for his first project and smiled. "We can go now."

oOo

Shadow the Hedgehog looked out his window as he saw the red and yellow Mobians return to their dorm. The building right next door. Honestly, what were the odds of that happening?

"You know, if you keep frowning like that you'll get wrinkles before you're twenty!" Rouge teased.

Shadow glared at her. "You know I don't age."

"What a gift! Staying young and beautiful forever! A girl can get envious."

Shadow huffed as he leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. Rouge, who was putting eyeliner on, smiled.

"So I heard about your 'incident' with the blue boy. He's such a cutie; I would flirt with him myself if he didn't have that handsome, red hothead with him." Rouge chuckled to herself.

"We raced, that's all." Shadow rolled his eyes.

"Of course." Rouge slyly smiled. "But don't you dare tell me you're not thinking about him. I can tell." Rouge shot him a look.

"I'm curious, that's all."

"About…?"

"He displayed the power of the average Rank A; however I sensed a substantial amount of Chaos Energy within him. That's not possible for a person like him…" Shadow's eyes narrowed and Rouge peaked with interest.

" _Oh_ …why, I don't know what to say..." Rouge said in awe, her playful behavior now serious.

"I have to tell the Doctor about this." Shadow locked eyes with Rouge. "See if you can dig up any more information on them." He vanished, and Rouge was left alone. She brought her wrist close to her lips and spoke into a transmitter.

"GUN? This is Rouge; I have some information you might find interesting."

oOo

Knuckles and Tails walked into their dorm, surprised by how dark it was, with the exception of the dim TV light. Was anybody there? Tails flipped the switch and there laid three Mobians sleeping on the couch.

"Ladies, it's time to get up! It's not even 4:45 yet!" Knuckles laughed.

Sonic groaned as he stretched. "Call me a lady one more time and we're gonna have problems."

Cream and Amy awoke wincing, the light was too bright. The girls slowly got up and stretched. Cheese himself was stretching on his pillow. Sonic ran his fingers through his disheveled cobalt hair.

"So, where'd you guys go?"

"We went to-"

"I thought I forgot my science textbook!" Tails interrupted Knuckles mid-sentence. "But when we got there I realized that I didn't have any science homework. Whoops!" He nervously giggled as he rubbed the back of his neck. Knuckles raised a brow at the blond. What was the kid doing?

"I don't know about you guys, but I want to go out." Amy spoke. "I'll wake up Cosmo and see if she wants to come too. Cream, are you coming?"

"Sure!" Cream smiled as Cheese floated into her arms.

Knuckles jumped onto the couch, his legs sprawled onto Sonic's lap as he grabbed the remote. "I was just out, so I'm gonna settle and watch some TV."

"Yeah, I have some calculus work I need to get to, as well as some…projects."

"Um, okay, have fun…" Sonic called out to Tails as he went into the boy's bedroom. Sonic sighed, Tails was acting really weird. He turned his head to glare at Knuckles. "Get your stinkin' feet offa' me!" He scolded as he pushed the legs off of his lap and quickly got off the couch before his older brother could trap him with his legs. "I'm going out with the girls."

"Don't have too much fun getting in touch with your inner femininity…again."

"If you don't shut up, I'll go tell that Rouge girl you like her."

"You wouldn't dare! You know that's not true!"

"Are you ready to go?" Amy asked Cream and Sonic with Cosmo in tow. "And Knuckles, shut up."

"What!"

"You heard her." Sonic smirked.

"So what if Sonic likes to embrace his inner self! We have to accept him for who he is!" Amy chirped.

"I don't know if this is some kind of sick joke between you two, but it needs to stop." Sonic glared at the two.

"We'll be off!" Amy called out as she exited the door with the others closely behind.

oOo

They were in a nearby park by their dorm; Amy and her new friend were sitting under a tree talking animatedly while Cream, Cheese and Cosmo played in the sandbox. Sonic watched them all from the swing set, letting the tip of his toes swing his seat back and forth. It was calming and let him think.

He hardly noticed the other Mobian take the swing beside him. He looked over and saw Silver. What the hell was he doing here?

"Heyo," Sonic greeted.

Silver studied him. "What's that tune you were humming?"

"I was humming?" Silver nodded. "Oh, wow, that's embarrassing."

"Well, what was it? I think it's the same tune you knocked on my door with. It's pretty...distinct."

"Oh, it's just something I came up with when I was younger and it stuck." Sonic shrugged. "It reminds me of Green Hill Zone."

"It's catchy." Silver remarked. Sonic chuckled lightly, idly thinking about the past for a brief moment. "I'm curious of your story."

Sonic blinked. "My story?" Wow, everyone wanted to know about him…he wasn't sure if he was okay with that. "What's there to say?"

Silver lightly kicked the dirt beneath him. "Anything really. I want details though; think of it as repayment for me telling you about my dreams. Chaos, I don't know what I was thinking to spill all that out to you!" Silver looked at Sonic. "No offense or anything, but I hardly know you!"

Sonic pursed his lips before grinning. "Alright. Only to make it fair, but if you ask more about me, you have to let me ask about you. What do you want to know?"

"I guess for compensation on my dream, give me your background story. With details."

"Hmmm, okay." Sonic began a bit hesitantly. "Well, I never knew my parents, but that's normal for Mobians, right? I spent the first seven years of my life in an orphanage at Green Hill after being dropped off when I was a few days old. Um, I eventually met Knuckles there and he became like a big brother to me. Then I left the orphanage with him and like that we were on the streets. Eventually we met the others, but that wasn't until way later."

"Oh, well, I guess that's more interesting than mine. I really don't remember much from the past...sometimes it's like I don't have one? It's all a blur. I just remember being in my old city for a bit before coming here."

"Which city was that?" Sonic asked.

"New City in Soleanna. Blaze and I heard about this school about a year ago and decided to come. We've been here since."

"Woah, Soleanna? Sweet! After Knux and I moved out of the orphanage, we traveled all over South and West Side Island."

"That sounds exciting." Silver mused to himself. He had never really gone exploring. He just remembered New City. No story, no adventure, nothing.

"It really was!" Sonic exclaimed before giving Silver that small, sweet smile. "But moving to this school won't stop me from having fun!" He winked at Silver, who slightly frowned and blushed before averting his gaze to the dirt below him.

"So, what are your hobbies?" He muttered.

"Hmm? Well, I like to sing and breakdance. Oh, and I love DJing! I used to do that sometimes to make quick cash. Playing guitar is also really fun! Also eating chilidogs and running!" Sonic smiled brightly. Who knew talking about yourself could be so fun?

Silver chuckled, though everything else was new and surprising, the running was certainly obvious. "Oh, speaking about that, you were really into that race." Silver recalled gym earlier that day.

Sonic laughed, a very cute laugh, Silver found himself noticing, "Oh, that? Yeah, I surprised myself! But like, I feel like I can go faster than that, you know? I almost did until my feet burned up. Thank Chaos I'm a fast healer!"

"So you're a Rank A? I am too, and so is Blaze."

"Wait, I still don't have a full understanding on these ranks. Care to explain? Shadow went over it really briefly with me. I only know that it's used to classify the Chaos Energy in people, but I hardly know what that is."

"Oh," Silver bit his cheek as he thought of a way to explain. "Well, Chaos Energy dwells within Mobius, and some Mobians and Overlanders have a portion of it as a part of their being. The percentages you carry affect your rank. The highest amount would be 50 percent, a Rank A. Anything above that is practically a God. 50 percent is high enough as it is."

"So, Chaos Energy is just a strange energy? Is it the result of the Xorda?"

"Maybe, but I also I think it has to do with the Ancient Echidna tribes. Not much is known about them though, the last person able to translate their hieroglyphics, some guy named Locke, died a while ago. He never shared his knowledge with anybody. All that history is lost now; it remains forever unknown in Mystic Ruins." Silver frowned. "I think the legend is that there is some kind of gem that has Chaos Energy and controls it. Like a ruby or something. And there are multiple of them. However, it's extremely unlikely that the legend is real."

Sonic took in the information with a nod. "Knuckles is an echidna, but I don't think he would know about that. He was really young when I met him and now he hardly remembers anything before we met."

"What's your relationship with him?" Silver blurted out before thinking. He instantly regretted asking after seeing the shock in Sonic's expression.

Sonic's lips curled into a smirk. "Oh, so you think he and I are an item? You aren't the first." He laughed. "Nah, he and I have a bromance, nothing more. Besides, Knuckles is straight. Though, I don't see how that helps when he can't get a girl! Ha!"

"Oh…so what are you?"

"Wow, these questions are getting _really_ personal. But because you seem cool and I can ask you these back, I'll tell ya." Sonic licked his lips. "I don't really think I can be labeled. I don't have much experience in dating. I think I'd be fine with anyone as long as they let me run and don't hold me back. But like, I would also be okay without anyone, you know?"

"I guess…" Silver shrugged, his heart beating a little faster as he pressed on. "What do you mean by much?"

"Oh my God, this is compensation?" Sonic gave Silver and incredulous look. "I've had a few experiences, that's all you need to know."

"…"

"Look, you're cool and all, but I'd rather not share the details." Sonic pursed his lips. "So, how are you and Blaze?"

"W-What?" Silver spluttered. "She and I are like siblings! We've known each other for a long time, we're practically related!"

"See? Now you know how it is when I get asked about Knux." Sonic grinned. "But don't feel awkward about it; we're used to people assuming. We sometimes play along just for kicks. Well, at least I do."

Silver sighed. "Fair enough."

"So wait, I never got to ask you about your hobbies?"

Silver thought about it for a moment. "I guess I like to help people and practice controlling my powers."

"Sounds fun! What do your powers include? What about Blaze? You're both A Ranks, right?"

Silver nodded. "I have telekinesis and ESP." After watching Sonic's confused expression he elaborated. "I can control things with my mind and use other abilities that involve deep concentration of the brain."

"That's so cool! You have to show me a sometime!"

Silver smiled sheepishly as a blush formed on his cheeks. "I will soon. I'd rather not do it openly though." Sonic nodded. "Blaze uses pyrokinesis, meaning she can bend flames to her will. She's also fast, but nowhere near as fast as you."

"Awesome!"

"So, do you have any more abilities? Or are you still learning?"

"Ummm," Sonic paused. "Well, I guess beside my speed and healing, I'm very agile and got good reflexes. Oh, and when I focus hard enough, I can give a good punch, but I'm really best with my legs." He widened his eyes. "Oh! About how fast did I go when I raced Shadow?"

Silver briefly recalled earlier that day. "I would say about 60 miles per hour? Maybe even 70 or 80. Seriously though, that's amazing. Blaze can probably go around 40 max, and that in itself is pretty impressive."

Sonic beamed, "Thanks!" He began to swing himself with more force, but not too much.

Amy ran over to them with her new friend following closely behind. "Sonic! This is my new friend, Honey! She wanted to meet you after I talked about you so much!"

Sonic waved at her with a friendly smile. "Hey, Honey!"

Honey shyly waved back with a light blush on her cheeks. Her eyes darted between the Silver and Sonic. Were they? She shot Amy a questioning look.

Amy giggled. "No way! They've just met today."

"Wait, what?" Sonic asked looking at Honey then Amy.

"Nothing!" Amy assured Sonic. "Girl stuff, you wouldn't understand." She looked at the albino hybrid. "Hey, Silver! I see you're in a better mood."

"Yeah, I am. Thanks." Silver responded with a small smile.

Amy crossed her arms and frowned at Sonic. "I know it's in your nature to help people, but if you keep doing things like this, you're gonna have people falling head over heels for you! That makes more competition for me!"

"Huh? I have no clue what you're talking about."

"And you won't ever until you get in touch with your inner self~!" Amy shot Honey a wink and the other girl stifled her giggles. Silver blushed while Sonic rolled his eyes.

"Wow, that joke is _really_ old now. You and Knux really just rammed it into the ground to the point it's not even funny."

"You just say that because it's aimed towards you!" Amy exchanged a look with her new friend and nodded. "We're gonna go play with the girls now. Have fun!"

When the two girls left, Silver turned towards Sonic. "What do they mean by that?"

"Oh, my inner self?" Sonic sighed heavily. "Amy and I...we met under certain circumstances and Knuckles, Tails, and Amy all know about it, but only Tails is nice enough to not tease me about it...ugh."

"Well, how did you two meet?" Silver asked with peaking curiosity.

"No." Sonic replied with a glare.

"But-!"

"Nope."

* * *

 _A/N: Mobians live a very different life from Overlanders. Overlanders live a lot like us, where we stay with our parents until we come of age and then go off on our own. Mobians are quite different, there's a big chance that Mobians will be left on their own by their parents. Usually they're just dropped off at an orphanage or on the streets. There's a lot of tension between Mobians and Overlanders as Overlanders believe they are superior due to their closeness to humans. Unfortunately for them, Mobians tend to be gifted with more Chaos Energy than they are, making them too powerful to threaten. Instead there's just a lot of prejudice between the two groups, where Overlanders live much better lives than Mobians. Because of this, many Mobians have a hard time caring for their kids. As their species is part animal, the kids are usually able to adapt to their environment after being left alone. Most of the time Mobian kids tend to find others like them for companionship, which Sonic and Knuckles have done._

 _Also another note about this world. This is 12,000 years in the future. Nobody gives a damn about who you love, what color you are, etc. The only concern is whether or not you're Overlander or Mobian. Sexuality is fluid, and some people have a preference. Overlanders are not as open about it as the Mobians are, they're usually just indifferent. Mobians don't care what species of animal you are, they're all united by the fact that Overlanders see them as lesser. Overlanders don't care about color, they're only concern is that you aren't part animal. So yes, society has evolved in some ways, but human nature always has to find some sort of scapegoat._

 _BTW, If you watched AoStH, you should have an idea on what Sonic's inner self is…it's crossdressing. How Amy and Sonic met is disclosed until a later chapter. Much, much later. It's extremely personal and there's a good reason Sonic won't bring it up. Don't expect it for a_ _ **very**_ _long time. There may be hints at it here and there, but it's been repressed for the most part._


	4. Chaos Emerald Chaos

_A/N: I always imagine Sonic having his Japanese seiyuu's voice, only it speaks in perfect English. His voice is so adorable and can sing, it's just...too perfect. Amy's voice in Sonic Boom has grown on me. I didn't like it in Generations, but now it's much better and I really like it. With Shadow I hear Jason Griffith the most because I really love how smooth his voice is, but sometimes I hear Humphrey. Tails I hear either as Kate Higgins or his voice in Sonic Boom. I really liked Blaze, Cream, and Rouge's voice in Generations. Knuckles, I don't really have a set voice in mind when he speaks. Any of them would work tbh. Either one of Silver's two voice actors work for me too. I don't know, I just find it cool to read dialogue in their voices, haha._

* * *

 _ **Chapter 4: Chaos Emerald Chaos**_

Silver walked with Sonic and his family to their dorms since his was right above the other's. Honey had left on her own to her dorm, since her place was right by the park. For the others, it was an easy couple of minutes to walk. Sonic and Silver lingered a few feet behind the kids, all of whom were talking cheerfully.

"I don't know how you've done it," The white-haired Mobian commented. "Raising all those kids like that. You're my age, right?"

"Um, excuse you. I'm fifteen and Knuckles is sixteen."

"So, basically around the same age." Silver watched as Amy smugly sent them a knowing look over her shoulder. "Still though, that's a lot of kids to be responsible for, even for an adult."

Sonic carelessly shrugged. "I try not to think about it too much. I just do it."

They arrived at their residence and waved bye to each other, Silver was a bit hesitant to leave the blue teen, but eventually did. Amy sent Silver a wink and thumbs up, which startled him. Sonic rolled his eyes at her and ushered all the kids inside, mentally bracing himself for any teasing his echidna brother could possibly give him.

oOo

It was time for dinner soon and the family went out to the same cafeteria they went to that morning. They sat at the same table and met up with Blaze and Silver. Conversations went around and across the table while everyone ate as though both parties had known each other for a long time. Cream, Amy, and Cosmo had all definitely taken a liking to Blaze and vice versa.

Sonic ate his hamburger cheerfully as he listened to Knuckles and Silver attempt to talk to one another. So far, it was hilarious how awkward the two were with each other. Tails, however, was silent and sketching in a notebook.

"Yo, Tails, what's wrong?" Sonic asked with deep concern.

"Trying to draw some plans and solve some issues…hey, the speed of sound is 343 meters per second, right? But maybe I should incorporate the speed of light just to be safe?" He muttered.

Sonic watched him with a confused expression. "Um, I have no clue about anything you just said."

"Sorry, these things get really complicated…I had to switch to the metric system."

"Uh, okay. Well, calculate all you want, just make sure you eat your food." He nodded towards the untouched hot dog on Tails's plate. The fox hybrid nodded and began taking a few bites.

Sonic continued eating and occasionally joined the others in conversations, that is, until he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around to see that black hedgehog hybrid from before, Shadow.

"We need to talk." He said lowly. "In private." He added as he saw the other's stare at him in surprise. Sonic nodded as he stood up. Before he could do anything, he felt the other grab his wrist and drag him until he was outside.

"Ow, ow, ow!" Sonic frowned as he rubbed his bruised wrists. "Dude, don't do that!"

"Who are you and where are you from," Shadow demanded.

"I told you earlier, I'm Sonic! And I'm from Green Hill Zone. If you wanted to know, you could've just asked."

"No, that's not what I meant. _What_ are you?" Shadow asked again with a rising temper.

"A… _Mobian_?" Sonic asked with a raised brow. "I don't understand why-"

Shadow cursed under his breath as he rubbed his temple. "No! I meant-" he pulled out a red gem from his black jacket's pocket. "This. Have you ever been in contact with this or something similar to it?"

Sonic wearily looked at the gem. "A ruby?" He asked while looking at Shadow. "No, I can't say that I have."

"It's an emerald-a Chaos Emerald. Tell me, Sonic, do you feel strange with this gem near you?"

Sonic hesitantly nodded. "Yeah...but I don't understand what you're getting at."

"Explain to me exactly what you feel."

Sonic became a bit flustered. Chaos, this was so weird. "I feel like…like there's a lot of energy and adrenaline in me and that it's running wild, a lot of power too…my hearts beating pretty fast." Though he wasn't sure whether or not that was because of the gem.

"Have you ever felt like this before?"

Sonic shook his head. "Not that I know of."

"Then it appears to me that I wasted this trip." He grabbed Sonic's hand tightly and the blue Mobian blushed as it got tighter and tighter. Suddenly, he felt a boiling sensation; he glanced at his clasped hand with Shadow's and noticed a green aura surrounding it. His eyes widened at the sight.

"W-what was-?"

Shadow smirked. "Not completely wasted then, after all." He released Sonic's hand harshly and glared at the teen. "You are not to speak about this to anybody. If I learn that you spilled this, I will come after you myself. Is that understood?"

Sonic nodded with a roll of his eyes. "Alright, but listen here, buddy-" He jabbed his finger into the other's chest. "Manhandle me again and we're gonna have problems." After having his hands smacked off the other's chest, he crossed his arms. "I'll keep your little secret, but in turn, you gotta treat me with a little more respect."

Shadow nodded at the other. "Very well then, we have a deal. This goes to _no one_. Not even your family."

Sonic frowned, but complied. "Got it." He went back inside the cafeteria and sat in his seat, a few others watched him questionably as well as those from his table.

"What happened?" Amy fretted. "He didn't challenge you to a fight, did he?" She didn't trust the guy; his glare was too intimidating.

"Nah, he just wanted to have a rematch with me sometime."

"So he dragged you outside to tell you that?" Knuckles asked with disbelief. "He looked like he was going to murder you!"

"He's not good with expressing himself." Sonic reasoned. The other's eyed him with long frowns on their faces, including Silver who was also attempting to bring down his sudden anger. It arose when Shadow touched Sonic and hadn't calmed down since. Its cause was still a mystery to the silver hybrid.

Dinner continued with an uncomfortable silence.

oOo

The girls rushed into their rooms to take their showers and get ready for bed and Knuckles told Tails to take the first shower in the boy's bathroom. Sonic knew what this meant. There was silence between them as the echidna eyed his younger brother skeptically.

"Listen," Sonic began when he heard the shower start. "You don't have to do this."

"What's going on?" Knuckles asked as he narrowed his eyes. "Don't think I'm going to buy into that story. Not with that look he gave you."

" _Trust me_ , nothing serious happened. We just talked."

Knuckles observed Sonic with a glare. "Talked about what?"

Sonic blushed as he recalled how Shadow's warm hands grabbed his, and his display of assertiveness. "Nothing that concerns you!"

Knuckles raised a brow when he noticed the blush on Sonic's cheeks. Millions of possibilities ran through his head. "Did he-"

"No!" Sonic exclaimed as he chucked a pillow at the other's head. "You can be so thickheaded at times!"

Knuckles caught the pillow and gave Sonic a knowing grin. "Then-"

"Just drop it! He wanted a rematch with me so I agreed. There's nothing wrong about that!" Sonic easily lied, despite still being flustered. How could Knuckles even assume that he and Shadow were flirting with each other…he hardly knew the guy! Not only that, but the dude was a total jerk! No way would he ever get involved with a guy like that. Nope, no way in hell.

"Whatever." Knuckles teased. "Never thought that whole 'inner femininity' still existed. My suspicions have been confirmed."

"Oh, shut it! I was a kid! It was a _disguise_." Sonic hissed.

"You're defensive about it, which proves its still there!"

"You get defensive when I talk about Rouge. Does that mean you like her?"

Knuckles glared at Sonic, but choose not to respond. That would only give Sonic exactly what he wanted.

oOo

Sonic walked into the girl's room after his shower with Tails behind him.

"Ready for bed, guys? Oh, Amy, I ate some of that pie you made. Hope you don't mind too much."

Amy beamed. "No that's fine! Did you like it?"

"It was delicious." Sonic encouraged her while he sat on her bed. Tails sat comfortably on the floor, leaning against Cosmo and Cream's bed.

"So, are you going to sing to us, Sonic?" Cream asked with a smile, already knowing the answer.

"A song or story?" Sonic asked the kids. They all agreed to a song, and Sonic left the room to pick up the guitar in his bedroom. He returned and sat comfortably with the guitar resting on his lap. "Which song?"

"Any!" Amy responded with her head in her hands as she laid on her stomach.

"Alright, how about this new one I came up with recently?"

"Sure!" Tails smiled.

"Does it have words?" Cosmo asked, knowing that Sonic played both melodies and actually sung songs for them before bed when he wasn't telling them stories.

"Yeah, it does!"

Sonic began playing the instrument naturally. His fingers strummed the strings like a pro while his other hand moved swiftly up and down the neck.

" _This is my escape, I'm running through this world and I'm not back._ " His voice was calming, in key, and overall perfect. " _Cause I know I can go, where no one's ever gone and I'm not looking back._ "

His strumming quickened, and his voice softened. " _But how will I know when I get there? And how will I know when to leave?_ " His voice gained a little more force, but not too much since he was supposed to lull the kids to sleep. " _We've all got to start from somewhere and its right there for me! The possibilities are never ending!_ "

" _I see it, I see it and now it's all within my reach._ " His voice carried the lyrics smoothly. " _Endless possibility! I see it, I see it now. It's always been inside of me. And now I feel so free. Endless possibility!_ "

Sonic's voice was again softened with a slightly forceful ending. " _And so I'll carry on, my time to shine has come…I feel it! As fast as I can go, Straight to the top I know…you'll see it!_ "

His voice was so melodious that it made the others awestruck all over again even though they were used to it. " _So please wake me up when I get there? It feels like I'm lost in a dream. I know in my heart that it's my time and I already see! The possibilities are never ending_!" He stopped his singing to strum his guitar to a rhythm that continued the song; a small solo.

" _I see it, I see it and now it's all within my reach. Endless possibility! I see it, I see it now. It's always been inside of me. And now I feel so free. Endless possibility!_ " He stopped playing and watched as the kids begged for another song.

Sonic shook his head. "Tomorrow. It's time to go to bed and I'm beat."

"Awww," Amy whined. "Can you sing 'Reach for the Stars' tomorrow? I love that song!"

"I don't know, Amy," Tails began. "I really liked this song."

"Of course! All of Sonic's songs are perfect!" Amy huffed. "It's just that song is so- Ahhh!" Amy squealed as she tightly hugged her pillow. "I love it!"

Sonic chuckled. "All right. I'll sing that one tomorrow." Sonic got off the bed and laid his guitar against Amy's bed. He pulled the sheets over her body and ruffled her hair before turning around to focus on the younger girls. He tucked them in and kissed both their heads gently before poking Cheese's cheek affectionately. He and Tails went to their own bed and settled in comfortably. Like every night, he hummed to his little brother as he drifted into sleep.

oOo

The following day seemed to be go by fast, much to Sonic's delight, though it was mostly due to the lack of confusion. They ate breakfast with Silver and Blaze and remembered to bring their new book bags with them. Afterwards they followed routine and dropped the younger kids off at the elementary and middle school, but this time Silver and Blaze accompanied them. When they arrived at the high school, Blaze separated from the group to head to her own homeroom. Sonic wished she had first period with them as they were becoming fast friends.

Sonic conversed with the people around him, especially the girl who had lent him the pencil the other day: Mina Mongoose. He and Silver also shared a few jokes in class, earning a disapproving look every once in awhile from the teacher. Mina threw around the occasional joke, but mostly listened and giggled when she found something humorous. Knuckles seemed to be conversing with a rather large, green Mobian beside him who looked too old to be in school. Eh, he had no right to judge.

English went by very quickly. They watched a documentary, meaning everybody just talked the whole period. Sonic dreaded when science came, he walked in with both Silver and Knuckles by his side. He remembered how he landed himself detention for the next day…and Scourge was there too. Ugh.

He was prepared to have an ordinary lesson where the teacher would make his life slightly miserable due to his first impression like they did in movies, but not enough where it'd really bother him. What he was not expecting was Dr. Eggma- _Robotnik_ to pull him aside and inform him that detention was moved to that day instead of tomorrow.

"Something came up." The professor told him. Sonic went to his seat and endured 45 minutes of being flirted with by Scourge and doodling in his notebook. He really didn't care much for the flirting though, since he got to practice his sarcasm. However, he could've sworn he felt Silver kick his seat. He turned around and there Silver was, fuming. Why? He had no clue.

The boys and Blaze sat together at lunch; eventually Rouge joined them and flirted with Knuckles for a bit; everyone was amused by how his face could become just as red as his hair, despite his brown complexion. She then asked both Sonic and Knuckles some strange questions about gems and the possibility that maybe somewhere one could hold magical properties. Knuckles laughed at her while Sonic bit his lip, remembering the deal he made with Shadow. He responded with that he didn't doubt the existence, but he wouldn't believe it unless he saw one.

The double period of Pre-Algebra also went by fast. After learning the lesson, the students managed to convince the teacher to look up funny videos on the internet. Knuckles introduced Sonic to the crocodile-hybrid from before, named Vector; his animal species evident by the random patches of green scales on his skin. As Sonic assumed, the reptile was an older Mobian student. He was twenty and ran a detective agency with his two 'business partners'. Apparently one of them was Knuckles's age.

Gym had been fun. Sonic and Tails kept at a steady jog- well, steady by their standards. They ran two laps when Silver did one. Sonic attempted to talk with Shadow, but the other seemed too agitated to be bothered. After pestering him for a while, Sonic decided it wasn't worth it before returning to friends.

The end of the day came and Sonic remembered his after school detention. He waved to his brothers before heading towards his science class.

Sonic knocked on his teacher's door. "Yo? Doctor Robotnik?" He called from the other side. "I'm here."

"Come on in!" The elder human beckoned. Sonic twisted the knob and opened the door feeling very awkward. "Don't just stand there! Put your bag somewhere and start with cleaning the board!"

Sonic dropped his bag onto a table without much care and picked up an eraser. He did as he was told rather quickly. "Am I done yet?" He asked when finished.

"No, wash the tables. There's a cleaning spray and some paper towels by the sinks."

Sonic frowned, but again, did as he was told. He scrubbed his table first until he found it spotless. He worked on the other tables, and soon enough got to the one in front of the teacher's desk. He eyed the Doctor with curiosity as he scrubbed. The teacher had his large nose stuck in some book opened on his desk. Sonic tried to get a good look at the page, but found himself unable to read it.

"What are you doing? I thought I told you to scrub those tables!"

"I am!" Sonic argued. He pointed to the book. "What's that you're reading? It looks weird."

The professor growled. "None of your business!"

Sonic frowned. "You're getting really defensive about it…are you hiding something?"

The professor frowned after realizing it would be less trouble to show the boy the damned thing. "It's an old rune from the Ancient Pachacamac Tribe in Mystic Ruins. I've been trying to translate them."

"Why would you do that? Seems pointless." Sonic shrugged.

"Legend has it that these people guarded gems that harnessed Chaos Energy. Perhaps if we could find out how, we too could use that power."

Sonic frowned, partially sitting on the teacher's desk, "Why would you want so much power? Guarding gems?" Sonic recalled Shadow's red gem for a moment before remembering he couldn't speak about it. "Seems like a heavy responsibility. I wouldn't want to waste my time doing that. Besides, what's so wrong with the world right now that would cause us to need that power? It's not like we're having another alien race attacking us soon."

Robotnik sighed. "There's a limit to everything, hedgehog. Everything, but those gems. Imagine how much power they would give, the machines they could power, and the lives it would improve."

Sonic pursed his lip. "I feel like you have another reason to seek out those gems…"

Robotnik frowned, the kid was a lot smarter than he assumed. He lifted a tattered journal and handed it to the blue hedgehog. Sonic flipped through the pages and skimmed through the rough handwriting that had scribbled an abundance of notes. "It was my grandfather's." The teacher began. "He was studying ways to cure diseases for the sake of my cousin's life. He believed the gems and the echidnas were the key. I merely wish to carry on his dream."

Sonic looked up at his professor, momentarily tearing his gaze from the journal. "What happened to them?"

"They both died around 50 years ago. GUN believed my grandfather was performing dangerous research. They arrested him and shot my cousin. She was fourteen."

Sonic gaped. "Oh. I'm sorry."

"No need to be. I never really knew them; just my grandfather's research. He was an admirable man."

Sonic smiled as he pointed to a notebook beside Robotnik's computer in an attempt to change the sad topic. "What's that?"

"Ideas, inventions. Private stuff; don't bother asking to see it!"

"Can I see it?"

"No!"

"Honestly, Robotnik, I just want to see the drawings. I could care less about all the technical stuff." Sonic rolled his eyes.

Robotnik hesitated, but handed the hedgehog the notebook.

Sonic smiled. "Yay!" He eagerly looked at all the detailed sketches of all the machines. "Are these airships? Sweet!" he flipped the pages. "And robots? They look like mini yous! They're adorable!"

Robotnik huffed. "It's for copyright purposes."

"Sure, and here I thought you just had a big ego." He flipped through another page, "Crabmeat? That's so cute! Wow, these designs keep getting better and better!" He flipped to another page where he saw a drawing of the gem Shadow held. He quickly read the note beside it in his head ' _Chaos Emeralds. Confirmed there are multiple, but how many in all?_ ' Underneath that was the number seven circled a few times.

"Awfully long time to look at one picture, don't you think?" Robotnik scolded.

Sonic closed the book. "Your designs are really cool; you should make one based on me!" Sonic smiled. "It'd be so awesome! Handsome too!"

"We'll see." Robotnik answered without much care, causing Sonic to pout. "Tell me, have you seen this before? Ever? It would be rather large, almost your size."

Sonic looked to where Robotnik repeatedly tapped his grandfather's journal with his index finger. A sketch of a large green gem on an altar. "No, can't say that I have." Robotnik furrowed his brows. Nothing his grandfather's surviving creation told him added up.

"What about this?" He flipped a couple of pages then pointed to a picture of a mural with some strange water beast. Something about the monster made Sonic uneasy, but he couldn't remember why. The creature's eyes really bothered him.

"Oh yeah! Because I've _totally_ seen water monsters spring up all over the place on my daily stroll."

"I meant the mural itself!" Robotnik hissed.

"Nope."

Robotnik let out an exasperated sigh and waved Sonic off. "Get back to those desks. Then the windows. After you sweep the floor, I'll dismiss you."

"How about we keep talking and forget the whole 'detention' thing?"

"No," The teacher responded with a glare.

"Aw, man."

oOo

Sonic returned just before the family left for dinner. He was exhausted, and his arms were sore from those stupid, repetitive circular motions.

"It's alright Sonic!" Amy addressed the teen as he collapsed onto the couch. "There are leftovers in the fridge. Snack on those if you want."

"Wait, what-"

"Stay home! It's fine, I can tell you're tired."

"Oh, okay. Thanks!" Sonic replied with a smile. The family left with promises of being back shortly.

Sonic relaxed into the couch and let his eyes rest. He dozed off into a light sleep until he heard a knock on the door. He groaned as he pushed himself off the couch and opened the door. His arms were almost healed, but they still felt a little strained.

Sonic met with a pair of aqua eyes. "Oh. Rouge?" Sonic asked with a raised brow, unsure of why the bat would visit him.

"Hey, big blue." She gestured towards the door. "Might I come in?"

"Sure." Sonic moved aside to let her pass. She sat on the armchair and crossed her legs professionally.

"I have something I need to talk to you about. Very urgent." Rouge warned him in a serious tone. "This message is directly from GUN, I need you to keep this information confidential as well as my ties with them. If this gets leaked, my cover could get blown."

Sonic widened his eyes with surprise. He sat on the armrest of the couch and crossed his arms. "All right, I can keep a secret."

"My current mission is to keep an eye on you, your Chaos Energy level spiked to 32 percent when you raced with Shadow, my…friend."

Sonic paused and furrowed his brows. "Wait, how is that bad? I thought Rank As were 50 percent?"

"Ranks are based on the capacity. Rank As can reach to the maximum of 50 percent, where they become like demigods. You were dangerously close to that capacity, and you weren't even giving what we assumed to be your all."

Sonic bit the inside of his cheek and nodded. "I get it, and I agree. If my feet didn't burn up so badly, I know I would've gone faster."

"Exactly," Rouge gestured toward him. "GUN is unsure of how to deal with such power. There is only one known person in existence currently that has passed A Rank." Rouge frowned. "That person holds incredible power and could one day destroy us all…"

"You sound like you know them. Who is it?" Sonic asked with curiosity.

"Can't say. I have yet to tell GUN that such a person exists and wasn't destroyed as they had thought. I'm onto something big and I can't let anything or anybody interfere."

Sonic immediately thought of Shadow with that green energy. "Don't tell anybody I told you this, but Shadow…is he the one?"

Rouge waved her hand for him to dismiss the thought. "Don't concern yourself with Shadow. There's a lot about him you don't know, but I am very well aware of his situation."

Sonic nodded and dropped the idea. "What about Knuckles? When I first came here, they said he had Chaos Energy too?"

Rouge nodded. "His situation is very...complicated. He reached 50 percent, but the energy doesn't increase rapidly and burn out like it usually should. It lingers, and for that, most of us are stumped. We honestly don't know what to think in a situation like this. It's only happened once before where an actual person held the power of a god, but GUN still believes they took care of that problem ages ago."

"Power of…a god?" Sonic asked with surprise.

"Any creature or person that reaches 100 percent Chaos Energy is considered a god. All legends and religions involve Chaos Energy in some form or another-Gaia, Solaris, etcetera. All of whom would technically be gods, assuming they were real."

"Ohhh!" Sonic waved his hand enthusiastically. "That's why you guys are concerned about me and Knux! Don't worry; he and I can't possibly be gods. It's probably just a lot of energy in certain areas messing with your radar?"

Rouge frowned and gave him a doubtful look. "The technology we hold secret from the civilians is very advanced. It wouldn't make foolish mistakes."

Sonic was about to comment on the secret technology, but held his tongue.

Rouge sighed. "Now that I explained this to you, I'd like to get back to my question." She paused and intensely gazed at Sonic. "Do you recall any moment of your life that could've possibly led to your drastic supply of energy?"

Sonic bit his lip and thought very deeply. He had always been the same. There was no change in energy for him; everything felt the way it always had. Nothing _could've_ happened. He'd been in the orphanage since he was a few days old. Sonic shook his head, "There is none. I've always been like _this_." He gestured to himself, now unsure of what _this_ was.

"No? None at all?" After seeing Sonic's wavering frown she stopped. "I see; that leaves me in quite the predicament…" She rubbed her chin in mild frustration.

"Any other bits of info you were looking for?"

"Yes. During your race, how much faster did you think you could go?"

"Honestly? That race? I'm sure I didn't give it my all, my shoes were just unable to keep up." Sonic thought for a moment. "Believe me when I say this, but that was just a warm up."

Rouge smiled. "I believe you. Must've been your first time to use up so much energy. I'm sure the next time you go, you'll use up less as it adapts to your new capabilities. The Chaos Energy enables you to move as quickly as you do, as well as generate physical energy."

"That's actually pretty interesting."

Rouge sighed. "I had to do quite a bit of research before I landed this job. Usually I steal treasure, but I suppose that'll have to wait until I have this whole ordeal settled."

The two conversed about idle things for a while, now that Rouge had been given answers to her current questions. After a few minutes, Rouge stood to take her leave.

"Remember, this is secretive. If anyone asks, I was asking you on how to get that echidna to come with me to the Lounge Saturday night." She said with a wink.

Sonic snickered. "Alright then. Do you seriously want to know or?"

"A few quick tips would suffice."

"If you stroke his ego enough, he'll quickly warm up to you."

"Thanks, dear!" She left with a goodbye wave and that was that.

oOo

Sonic ate the leftovers and waited for his family to return. He then told them to finish their homework and ended the night with the song Amy requested the night before. As he lay in bed, many thoughts swarmed into his mind. Chaos Energy? Chaos Emeralds? God-like power? It was like some myth, and very confusing. Sonic wasn't sure if he could make sense of it all. Shadow…he had that emerald…and that emerald had created an aura of powerful green energy. It seemed very dangerous, not only that, but Robotnik's grandfather believed there to be multiple gems. What could happen if somebody gathered them all? Life used to be much simpler than this; before all he did was travel between South and West Side Island and provide for the kids. Though it was troublesome to find shelter and food, he always managed to get the necessities out of the way. Whether he earned money by doing small jobs and performing on streets, charming a person to get what he wanted, or even stealing when he was desperate, it always worked out. Now, they had the necessities, but the family seemed like it was…growing apart. Perhaps he was just imagining it.

Not only that, but he seemed to be facing many complexities now. It was like a huge puzzle he had to solve on his own. Shadow, Robotnik, and Rouge were slowly filling him in, but nothing made sense! It all tied in together, but he still had trouble why it was _him_ who was so special in the first place. Why was _he_ the one who caught GUN's attention? Why was it like _he_ was at the center of the mystery? He used to think he knew himself very well; now he wasn't so sure.

Sonic groaned softly in annoyance as he twirled a strand of Tails's blond hair around his finger. He decided that this was an issue for another day. It would work itself out eventually. He closed his eyes and relaxed before letting sleep take over.

* * *

 _A/N: Oh, ranks work like this: Rank A is 50 percent Chaos Energy, Rank B is 25, Rank C is 12.5, Rank D is 6.25, Rank E is 3.125, Rank F is 1.5625._

 _Most Overlanders are at Rank F, which is why it doesn't exist in any Sonic games (By the logic of this fic, anyways). They have Chaos Energy due to their mutation, but not enough to be given special abilities. The common Mobian is Rank E. Any gifted Overlanders are usually Rank E, like Robotnik and his extreme intelligence._

 _There's one more rank, I'm sure you guys can guess what it is. ;) Predictable story is predictable._

 _Next chapter will be sensitive though. Story rated M for reasons._


	5. Party Hardly

_A/N: Okay, I lied about the whole "chapters will start coming slowly" thing. Just a couple of more chapters will come fast before I really start slowing things down. Maybe up to chapter 11, then after that I have pre-made chapters that I plan on rewriting, then I gotta start making new chapters from scratch. This story is gonna span out for an entire school year so I expect it to be past 30 chapters. Ugh. Maybe more, definitely not less._

 _ **Warning: this chapter has mature themes that can be sensitive for some**_ _. Rules don't exist for Mobian teens. I rated this story M for a reason._

 _Also, be on the lookout for some cracks..._

* * *

 _ **Chapter 5: Party Hardly**_

The next day followed the usual morning routine, but history proved to be quite interesting. The class was begging to do something interesting for once, maybe a movie or something. No more work! Mr. Stewart contemplated the idea for a moment.

He smiled. "How about this: since we're learning about Mobian and Overlander tribes that reconstructed their mutated world after centuries of recovery, I'll set up a field trip to Mystic Ruins? It'll be available for anyone from this Academy- family, friends, anyone, but the maximum is 100 students! I'll need names immediately, first come first serve."

"You can do that?" A student asked enthusiastically.

The teacher nodded. "However, for my students, it'll count as a project. You're all expected to write a short essay on what you saw."

Everyone groaned, but their spirits didn't dampen much. Everybody was practically jumping in their seats.

"I'll come around with the list once I gather my things. I want to know who's attending and who's coming along. I'll be here after school if any of you need time to consider. Tomorrow, depending on how many places are left, I'll invite more students."

For the rest of the period, students asked the teacher for more details. What were they gonna do, where would they stay, how long they would be there. The teacher replied it was a two-day trip, and they would stay at a motel between the ruins and Station Square. There would be many things to do, such as travel through the forests, visit the old ruins, fly in Windy Valley or even explore the caves. The trip sounded promising, and Sonic immediately signed his family up.

oOo

Silver and Sonic walked through the halls to their English class.

"Dude, I can't wait for this trip! Can the 27th come already?" Sonic exclaimed.

"Right? I've never visited the ruins myself, but the history behind them is really interesting." Silver looked at Knuckles who was listening to their conversation without much care. The trip seemed cool, yeah, but he hated history. That essay was seriously going to frustrate him. He didn't even know what an essay was! "Knuckles?" He raised a brow at the younger hedgehog. "Do you know anything about the echidna tribes? Seeing as you're an echidna and all…"

Knuckles pursed his lips in thought. "There's not much I remember, but my dad used to tell me a lot about them." He paused. "The only thing I remember him telling me is that they were all wiped out by this monster." He rolled his eyes. "He always was superstitious."

"What happened to him? Sonic said you two met in an orphanage?" Silver said without thinking. He immediately regretted it. Damn! That was a sensitive topic. It was obvious that the other's father probably di—

"Tch, I ran away." Knuckles said with a shrug. The answer Silver was not expecting left him stumped. "I don't remember why though; maybe because of something stupid. Everything before I met Sonic is kind of a blur; I don't care to remember pointless things."

"Aww, thanks Knuckles." Sonic teased. "I'm important to you!"

Knuckles smirked. "You're too weird not to forget. I'm already scarred for life."

Silver chuckled as Sonic pouted. "Haha, very funny…jerk."

"Hey, Sonic?" Silver asked with a nervous blush. "Are you doing anything this Saturday?"

Sonic frowned. "Oh shoot, yeah I am. I'm free Sunday though?"

"Cool, do you want to hang out or do something?"

"Sure, like what?" Sonic said as he entered the classroom.

"Maybe challenge each other? Practice our abilities?"

Sonic smiled. "Sounds fun."

oOo

It was lunch and Tails was shaking with excitement. "This sounds so much fun! I read the whole chapter already in our textbooks; there really is a lot of interesting stuff there." The group sat at their joint table with Silver and Blaze as they had done the previous day. Blaze concealed an amused smile after seeing the boy so hyped up.

"I'm glad I'm able to go. I hear the forest is very beautiful."

Knuckles shrugged. "I think I'm going just to see something new. All that history and sightseeing crap doesn't mean anything to me."

Blaze glared at him. It's been three days and neither had showed signs of liking each other. "You should appreciate the ruins some more. For all you know, they could've been your ancestors."

Knuckles rolled his eyes. "I think my dad used to study them or something, so yeah, maybe they were. Do I care? No, not really." He took a bite of his food. "Some great people they were if they couldn't even prophesize their own demise."

Blaze huffed, deciding it wasn't worth it to argue. Instead she participated in the conversation between Sonic, Silver and Tails. She inwardly smirked when she saw the bat walk towards Knuckles.

"Knuckie!" Rouge greeted the echidna as she sat next to him. The echidna groaned. "Well, here I thought that maybe you would like to hang out with me this weekend. Guess not, maybe I could ask somebody else."

"Go ask that dark hedgehog, I see you with him a lot."

"Shadow? No way, he'd kill all the fun!" She paused. "Maybe I'll ask your cute, blue friend." She winked at Sonic and he replied with the same gesture. Silver almost choked on his food, while Tails became quickly confused. Blaze patted her friend's back with concern, but was deeply interested in his reaction.

"What!" Knuckles raised his voice. He looked back and forth between the two, violet eyes lingering on Sonic with disbelief.

Rouge giggled. "Wow, I didn't know you were so defensive about this! I hope you know that strong, but sensitive men are my type." She purred.

Knuckles blushed. "Fine! I'll go with you, but don't bring Sonic into this ever again." He growled while glaring at Sonic.

"Okay! So Saturday night I'll drop by your house and we'll go to the Lounge together." She waved goodbye and blew Knuckles a kiss. "Bye, dear."

"What the hell is going on between you two?" Knuckles accused the blue hybrid.

Sonic laughed. "Nothing, we just worked together to get you to agree to her little date. I knew you were the jealous type! It isn't all that hard to figure out!"

Knuckles's anger blew off and became annoyance. "I wasn't jealous. I just don't want you seeing a troublemaker like her."

"No, I think you like her." Sonic teased while sticking his tongue.

"Do not."

"Yeah, you keep telling yourself that."

oOo

Gym came around and Mina joined the four boys in the running activity. All of them jogged at a quick pace, though Sonic wished he could run fast again. Knuckles was irritated that the boxing activity had too many participants. He'd rather fight than run!

"So, I have these friends named Sally and Bunnie, I'll introduce you sometime. They're really cool and super nice. Sally's a princess! She's here though because she wants an education. Might as well since her brother is going to have the throne."

Sonic listened to Mina's chatter with a smile. The girl was really easy to get along with, and she was pretty cool as she would occasionally join in when he and Silver goofed off in history class. In fact, the three of them got scolded multiple times the last two days.

"Are they coming on the trip?" Sonic asked.

"Nah, they said they were gonna visit Knothole that weekend. Thank Chaos Mr. Stewart didn't see my phone!" She looked between Silver and Sonic. "Hey are you two going to the Lounge this weekend? My friends are going so you could meet them then?"

"I wasn't planning to, but sure. I'll go."

Sonic smiled. "Yeah, I'm going. Scourge made me make a deal with him to go Saturday night. Not really looking forward to it."

"What?!" Mina and Silver asked with surprise.

"What deal?" Silver questioned with a horrified look.

"He gave me your address in return for a night at the Lounge with him." Sonic shrugged. "But at least you guys, Knux, and Rouge will be there."

"Sonic, that boy is bad news." Mina warned. "He's a total flirt! He even tried to go out with me once, and he knows I'm dating Ash! I heard he's been arrested multiple times and that he killed his own father!"

"Oh yeah. I almost forgot about that rumor." Sonic said, mentally regretting agreeing to the green hybrid.

"Yeah, they may be rumors, but while you're out, be careful. He seems like the type who would have tricks up his sleeves."

"Thanks, I'll keep a note of that."

Knuckles frowned. "You never told me you were on a date with that green kid."

"It's not a date, it's hanging out." Sonic rolled his eyes.

"As long as I know you'll be as miserable as me, I'll be happy."

"Whatever. So tell me, who's gonna watch the kids?" Sonic asked.

Tails looked at the teenagers. "Amy can watch us fine. She's done it before."

"What do you mean by 'done it before'?" Sonic asked, bewildered. He shot Knuckles an accusatory glare. " _You're_ the one who's supposed to watch them when it's _your_ shift!"

"Hey! Firewood doesn't come on it's own, you know!" Knuckles argued.

"We lived in an area _surrounded_ by trees, why would you need to leave them alone?"

"Guys!" Tails interrupted. "Knuckles went to get things like water and wood, Amy knows how to defend herself and so do I. We've never had a problem; Knuckles always came back before long." Sonic and Knuckles sighed and dropped their dispute.

"If it helps," Silver began. "Blaze plans on studying in our dorm that night. If they have a problem, they can just get her. She's a very good guardian."

Sonic nodded. "Alright then. I guess that's been settled."

oOo

Thursday and Friday went by quickly, though Friday Sonic had managed to land himself another detention with Robotnik for again mistaking him as Eggman. It was almost the same as the first, Sonic cleaned the classroom and got sidetracked with the teacher.

Saturday came finally and the blue Mobian was excited. In two weeks, he and his family would be at the ruins. However, that day he had a no plans until 6 o'clock; the time Scourge told Sonic during science he was going to pick him up.

First the family went to breakfast and enjoyed a delicious meal at a leisurely pace and later went to the park near their dorm. Silver and Blaze later invited the entire family to head towards the training area not far from the elevators. An easy ten minute walk, assuming they didn't borrow a few small golf carts. They made it there in one piece, surprisingly, and trained in multiple activities. Sonic and Knuckles wrestled a bit and Sonic eagerly watched as Silver showed off his telekinetic abilities. Amy managed to whack a boxing bag across the room with her hammer, though scaring Sonic a bit, and Tails drove an aviator simulator with perfect results.

The family returned to their home and watched a few movies on TV with Silver and Blaze invited. Eventually a pillow fight erupted and everybody was running through the small space in teams. Silver with Blaze, Sonic with Amy and Tails and Knuckles defended Cream, Cheese and Cosmo. Eventually Sonic and Knuckles got into a playful brawl that ended up being a draw. Soon everybody settled down and returned to the movie. By the time it was up, it was time for Sonic to get ready for his night with Scourge. Joy.

"Remember," Sonic had reminded the kids after he showered and washed his clothes. "Blaze is going to take you guys out to dinner and spend the rest of the night here. Any problems before dinner and you go straight to her. Understood?"

They all nodded. "Sonic! How come you're going on a date with somebody who isn't me?" Amy whined with frustration.

"Trust me, Amy. It's not a date."

She sighed. "Alright." She looked at Tails and the girls. "Who wants to bake some cake?" They all cheered excitedly and Sonic smiled after realizing he had nothing to worry about.

The door knocked and Sonic answered it. There stood Scourge and Rouge glaring at each other. Perfect, two exes together. Knuckles appeared behind Sonic and greeted Rouge absentmindedly. She gave him a large smile and pulled his arm outside and led him as far as way from the green hedgehog as she could before he could make sense of it all. Sonic shut the door behind him after calling out a 'bye' to his family. He walked beside Scourge all the way to the Lounge a few feet behind Rouge and Knuckles, the former who was talking animatedly about her day and this beautiful gem she saw.

"You know, I'm quite the treasure hunter myself. I used to find gems and sell them to make some coin." Rouge's eyes sparkled at that statement and an obvious connection between the two was made. They then discussed their adventures and were getting along swimmingly, with a few teases thrown into the mix.

Sonic and Scourge talked amongst themselves, he was almost jealous of how much Knuckles seemed to be enjoying himself. Almost, but not quite. His conversation mostly consisted of Scourge flirting with him and bragging about himself while he played along and sarcastically stroked the other's ego. They laughed a few times, but Sonic couldn't get rid of this awkward feeling in the pit of his stomach. Mina's warnings and the untrusting vibe that practically radiated from him made him weary of Scourge, but Scourge hadn't done Sonic any wrong. There was no reason to go with his instinct, but he was partially an animal. An animal that doesn't follow their instinct ends up in danger.

Their group of four entered the Lounge and was instantly greeted by loud music that made their hearts pound. Many familiar faces were there, but there wasn't anybody the group actually talked to.

Rouge took Knuckles's hands into hers and began swaying her hips, she laughing lightly as Knuckles blushed.

"We're in a club! You're supposed to dance!"

"How about you, babe?" Scourge said with a grin as he nudged Sonic with his elbow. "How about a slow dance? Or a lap dance? I'm fine with either."

"Um, how about no?" Sonic laughed, his eyes concentrated on the center of the dance floor. He had spent some of his youth performing on streets to earn money, it would be a shame if his talent went to waste. Speaking of talent, perhaps he could do some DJing or play a song later.

"What up, Blue?" Scourge asked as he watched Sonic's eyes linger on the center of the room where somebody was currently dancing. "You want to show off or something?"

"Yup. So what, you just go in the center and do your thing?"

"Pretty much."

Sonic immediately left Scourge's side and squeezed his way through the crowd, at the center everyone had gathered in a circle and cheered a Mobian on as he finished his dance. Please, he could top that 20 times over! A smirk appeared on his face as he pushed through. A few curious stares and wolf whistles were sent his way. Perfect. He had their attention and a new song was coming on.

At first he tapped his feet to the beat until he finally felt the rhythm through his body. As the beat became louder, he immediately began shuffling his feet- a strange, jerking dance that hadn't been around since the 21st century. The crowd was surprised on how he seemed to move by just stomping his feet. He twisted and turned, but what surprised most of them was when his hands pushed off the ground and he did a backflip, and then landed with perfect precision. He swung himself on the ground and swiftly transitioned to breakdancing. The other Mobians were shocked at his agility and speed. His body bent and twisted in ways that were previously believed impossible. His last move was a final swing on the floor with him landing with his head propped up on his hand, sending a wink to the crowd. The others went wild.

Sonic stretched as the other teens asked for another performance. Sonic assured them that he would continue to impress after a small break. He walked over to Scourge who smirked.

"Well, well, well. Aren't you the flexible one?"

Sonic beamed. "Thanks." He paused. "Do you mind waiting here? I promised a friend of mine I'd meet her friends."

Scourge rolled his eyes. "Whatever." He eyed a pretty girl. "I'll entertain myself somehow."

Sonic nodded, not really caring. He searched through the crowd, only just realizing he lost Knuckles. Soon enough, he found Mina waving at him with her body partially behind a curtain. He made his way to her.

"Hey, Sonic!" She greeted with a smile as she pulled the curtain aside for him to come in. She closed it behind her, concealing the small space of lounge chairs and mini fridge in their little hang out area.

"Wow, what's this place?" Sonic asked aloud, aware of the other seated Mobians.

"You can rent one of these hang out areas. You put your name on a waiting list as it's based on first dibs. Take a seat! They're so comfy!"

Sonic sat down on one of the couches. Though the space was small, it was relaxing and away from all the chaos. Silver walked in and greeted Mina, then took the empty spot next to Sonic.

"Hello...Sonic?" A Mobian with short red hair and blue eyes asked. She was very pretty and said his name with hesitance. "Mina talks a lot about you. You as well, Silver."

Sonic chuckled while Silver twiddled his thumbs awkwardly. "So, I know me. Who are you?"

The girl smiled. "I'm Sally, Sally Acorn. This here," she gestured at a rabbit-hybrid who sent them a friendly wave and smile. "Is Bunnie Rabbot." Bunnie had long blond hair and green eyes. Also a very pretty girl.

"I'm Rotor." A walrus-hybrid said with a smile. "Your brother, Miles, is in many of my classes. He talks about you a lot."

Sonic's smile grew until it stretched all the way across his face. "Really? That's so cool!"

"He really is a prodigy. He's been able to master physics and robotics by reading the whole book. We're only on chapter 1! He's amazing with coming up with project ideas. In fact, next week we've decided to be partners on the project Dr. Robotnik is assigning."

Sonic's heart swelled with pride. That was his little bro.

A fake cough brought everyone's attention to a coyote-hybrid. "I am Antoine D'Coolette." He stated with a heavy accent and an air of superiority. He had blonde hair and blue eyes. "Pleasure to meet you Sonic, I 'ave 'eard so much about you." The evident lack of enthusiasm made Sonic pout.

"Right back at ya."

Mina took the seat next to Sally. "We call ourselves the Freedom Fighters! Well, we would if there was anything to fight against."

Sally smiled. "Actually, we fight against oppression of any kind. Currently, we are working on improving Overlander-Mobian relations. It would benefit my family and city greatly."

Sonic nodded. "Sounds like a good cause. It's great that you guys are actually doing something about it."

"Yeah, most of the Overlanders in Soleanna were nice. I was really shocked when I came here and noticed the sudden change in attitude." Silver stated.

"It's a work in progress, but I'm sure we'll achieve equality soon!" Bunnie encouraged.

Mina smiled and nodded at her friend before glancing back at Sonic. "Oh! We saw your dancing! That was sweet!"

"Thanks!" Sonic replied while rubbing his neck. "I actually plan on going out and performing again."

"Do it!" Sally gestured towards the curtain that separated the two areas. "We'll watch you from here."

Sonic got up, scooted past Silver and left the small space. Mina again stood and moved the curtains so they could get a good view. Sonic was sure they expected him to dance again, but not this time! He headed straight for the stage.

"Yo, can I perform a song?" He asked the DJ, who responded happily and handed him a microphone. "Do you have any guitars?"

"Behind the stage curtain."

Sonic headed towards the back and picked up a guitar similar to his at home. He quickly tuned it by ear and walked onto the actual stage. People watched him with awe and excitement. That strange new student could sing, play guitar, and dance?

He placed the microphone on a stand and spoke into it, looking at the DJ for an 'ok' gesture to see if it worked properly. When he got the signal he wanted, and the silence that filled the room, his hands once again found themselves skillfully climbing up and down the neck.

"Woo!" He cheered into the microphone. "Aw yeah!"

" _Rolling around at the speed of sound, got places to go, gotta follow my rainbow! Can't stick around, have to keep moving on, guess what lies ahead, only one way to find out!_

" _Must keep on moving ahead. No time for guessing, follow my plan instead! Trusting in what you can't see. Take my lead I'll set you free._

" _Follow me, set me free, trust me and we will escape from the city. I'll make it through, follow me. Follow me, set me free, trust me and we will escape from the city. I'll make it through prove it to you. Follow me! Oh yeah!"_

" _Danger is lurking around every turn, trust your feelings, got to live and learn! I know with some luck that I'll make it through, got no other options, only one thing to do!"_

 _I don't care what lies ahead, no time for guessing, follow my plan instead! Find the next stage, no matter what that may be. Take my lead, I'll set you free!_

" _Follow me, set me free, trust me and we will escape from the city. I'll make it through, follow me. Follow me, set me free, trust me and we will escape from the city._

 _I'll make it through through, prove it to you! Follow me! Follow me! I'll make it through, oh yeah!"_

If the crowd was shocked before, now they were paralyzed. Sonic had sung the song so amazingly; it sent shivers down their spines. How he held his voice for long periods of time and how he could transition his rock voice to a soft one so fluidly, all while simultaneously playing an instrument left them at a loss for words. They cheered, begging for another song.

"Sorry guys, maybe some other time?"

The crowd groaned about not having another performance. Sonic merely shrugged. Whatever, can't make them all happy.

He walked through the crowd back to the curtain where Mina swung an arm around his shoulder. "That was great! Maybe one day we can have a duet? Or you can play guitar while I sing!"

"Sure!" Sonic replied enthusiastically.

After receiving many compliments, Sonic told his friends that it'd be best if he got back to Scourge. He left them and went to look for the green hedgehog, who he eventually found trying to bust a move with a cute Mobian girl.

Sonic scowled. "I don't think your girlfriend would like that."

Scourge raised a brow at Sonic and completely ignored the other girl. "I'm sure she wouldn't like me being here with you, but hey, whatever."

"I thought you were into girls." Sonic rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, but c'mon. We look a lot alike, and there's nobody I love more than myself."

"Okay, two things wrong with that statement. We may look somewhat alike, but the differences outweigh the similarities. Two, I'm not you. Don't act like I am."

"I'm sure if you had one bad day, you'd be just like me."

Sonic furrowed his brows. "As if!" Sonic pointed to himself. "Because unlike you, I'm original."

Scourge hummed to himself with a smirk, disbelieving Sonic. Sonic continued to glare at the other until Scourge stretched his arms.

"As much as I'd like to exchange glares with your pretty little greens, I say we lessen this tension by getting some drinks."

Sonic paused and blinked slowly. "Huh?"

Scourge rolled his eyes. "Don't tell me you've never had a drink before."

Sonic shook his head. "Never had a reason to? You're forgetting that my top priority for the past few years has been finding food and watching over my family. I never had time for things like drinking. Besides, isn't underage drinking against the law?"

Scourge snickered. "Are you serious? That law applies to humans only! Nobody gives a shit for the homeless savages they call 'Mobians'."

Sonic bit his lip and hesitantly shrugged as Scourge led him to a nearby bar. "Don't you think that's a bit messed up? How they don't care for us? I mean, in the end, we're still technically kids."

"The system's rigged. So what? We get drinks, partying, and sex. If it weren't for the few humans that care, we'd all still be living on the streets doing whatever we pleased. If ya ask me, they only care because they know we're more powerful than they are. Mobians are the superiors. We've got the power. They're scared that we'll grow to hate them and rebel."

"Maybe so, but they're not _all_ like that." Sonic frowned as he sat on a barstool. He had plenty of experiences with huma- _Overlanders_ and most weren't pretty. But he had also met some who gave him food and offered him kindness. Despite all his bad memories with the other mutant race, he couldn't find it in his heart to hate; it was against his nature to do so.

Scourge sat himself on the barstool next to Sonic and ordered a couple of beers. "Babe, if you believe that, then you're a bigger fool than I believed. They all want one thing: control."

Sonic huffed, but kept silent. It really wasn't worth arguing with Scourge. He caught his beer when the bartender slid it across the table. He took a sip from his mug and grimaced. Ew.

"I bet you don't attract many partners with that look, huh?" Scourge smirked as he took a swig of his own beer.

"Ha ha. You're hilarious." Sonic retorted in a sarcastic tone before drinking a little more; the taste was becoming a little more bland rather than gross.

"How about another question?" Sonic raised his brow, but nodded anyway. "How many partners have you had?"

"Like, dating partners? None."

"Woah, really?" Scourge looked genuinely shocked.

"Really really."

"Damn, blue...you must've had some sort of sex life?"

Sonic spluttered, nearly choking on his beer. "What?"

"You're a virgin? Never would've figured, babe. I mean, with your looks and all."

Sonic groaned. "Wow, can we like, not talk about this?"

"Yeah, you really are boring." Scourge froze for a second before a sly grin curled his lip. "Hey, Sonic? Can you do me a favor?"

"Depends on the favor." He replied snarkily.

"Aren't you a cutie?" He mocked. "No, I want to challenge you to a drinking contest."

"No way!"

Scourge smirked. "What? Afraid you'll lose?"

Sonic glared at the other as he placed his glass on the table. "Please, me lose? As if!"

Scourge hummed cockily as if he didn't believe a word.

"Fine! I'll play along with your little challenge. Let me just check up on Knuckles real quick, then we'll get started."

With that said, he left without waiting for a response.

oOo

"How's the date?" Sonic asked Knuckles, the latter currently relaxing in one of the lounge chairs not too far away from the bar.

Knuckles groaned as he sunk in his chair. "She's gonna make me dance again."

"You act like that's a bad thing."

"Yeah, well not all of us are peppy little dancers who also play their guitars and sing. Yes, I saw that."

"How was it?" Knuckles shrugged in response, resulting in Sonic whacking his head. "You suck!"

Knuckles growled as he rubbed the sore spot. "How's _your_ date?"

"Not a date." Sonic argued. "Our hangout is okay. Well, it's actually really weird. Don't try the beer."

"It's not that bad."

"Ew, you're gross." Sonic stuck out his tongue and winced. "I think I'll just settle with soda next time."

Knuckles shrugged. "Rouge will be back from the bathroom in a bit if you want to talk to her?"

"Nah, not now. Don't ruin your only chance at love."

"Harr harr. Now go away."

oOo

Sonic returned to Scourge and sat in his seat. He noticed Scourge's cocky gaze and immediately he felt competitive. "Alright, let's start this."

"I'll warn ya', babe. I'm a pro at this."

"Yeah, yeah. I don't lose."

"We'll see about that."

After finishing his drink, Sonic started feeling very disoriented and he wasn't entirely sure it was just the alcohol. He blinked and the next thing he knew he was in a hallway with Scourge, more than half his body weight was on the other. His concept of time completely vanished and he had to blink a few times to process what had happened.

"Where are we?" Sonic slightly slurred, after all, he did just have a couple of drinks.

"Downstairs. You look a little dizzy there, babe. You okay? I think I'll rent us a room for the night. Can't have you going home to those brats like this!" Scourge said with a grin.

If Sonic we're in his right state of mine, he would've lashed out at Scourge for calling his family such a foul name. He was too busy trying to stand up straight and walk without falling over. Chaos, he was never gonna drink again. This was horrible. "R-room? Theres rooms here?"

"Yeah, for the couple that got lucky or the drunk." Scourge smirked. "You and I just happen to be both tonight."

"Huh?" Sonic responded before almost falling onto Scourge, only to have the other catch him just in time. Shit, he couldn't even support himself. He cringed, not liking how his legs felt like they turned into complete jelly. He was finding it hard to concentrate on anything but that.

" _Trust me_ , babe. You'll understand soon."

Sonic attempted to pull the other's hand off of him, but failed. He was seeing double.

"Are you sure that-" Sonic paused as he momentarily forgot how to make words. "Does alcohol usually do this?"

Scourge hummed in response as he opened a door labeled 'vacant' before shutting and locking it behind him. He pushed Sonic onto a bed and crawled up above him, lowering his mouth near the other's ear. "Great, isn't it?"

Sonic spent the next few minutes zoning in and out, trying his best to keep a grip on reality. He stared straight at the ceiling, feeling dizzy as he started making out figures in the popcorn ceiling and seeing them move. He had no fucking clue on what was going on. He didn't even realize that Scourge had slipped off his vest and pants and was leaving markings all over his neck.

"I don't think I've ever done a man before, but from what I heard, there's not too much of a difference." Sonic heard Scourge mutter through pants, but he didn't process the words at all. Who could when the room was spinning?

Sonic suddenly felt something rough on his lips, biting and leaving bruises. It had probably been happening for a while, but he only just noticed it and it startled him. He felt a rush of adrenaline in his veins and did the one thing he could manage to do in his condition.

He brought up a hand and pushed Scourge off of him.

"Get offa me!"

Scourge paused for a second, but quickly got over the shock that overcame him. His ice blue eyes filled with annoyance. "Listen here, you little bitch." Scourge began as he restrained the blue hybrid. He grabbed the other's arm and twisted it around, knowing full well he had the upper hand while the other was drugged. "You're gonna be _mine_ tonight, and we can do this the easy way or the hard way." When he felt Sonic freeze, he smirked. "Yeah, that's right. Go back to being a doll."

Sonic felt Scourge's body shift to move, but suddenly the entire weight of the green hybrid vanished. Sonic managed to turn over and raised a confused brow as he made out the figure of a passed out Scourge in the corner of the room. He suddenly felt himself heaved onto someone's shoulder, completely spacing out until he saw his clothes on the floor.

After a minute or so of trying to piece together what was happening, Sonic weakly attempted to wiggle out of other's hold. "Wait! My pants!" He yelled, after determining that was of the utmost importance.

"Already taken care of," a familiar voice responded. Sonic's drugged mind wished it had the willpower to lift his head and see who was carrying him. "Chaos Contr-!"

A green light covered his vision and suddenly the floor of the room had changed and Sonic briefly wondered if they teleported somewhere. He let out a drunken cry as he was dropped head-first onto a bed.

He rolled over to his side and gasped as he saw a teenager with black and red hair glowering down at him. "Oh my Chaos!" Sonic began, his expression horrified and scared. "It's a fake me!"

"Were you drinking?" Shadow asked with a glare.

"I don't need to answer you, you fake hedgehog!"

"You idiot, I'm Shadow."

"S-Shadow?" Sonic asked softly, taking in the other's appearance. It took awhile for his mind to process the fact that he was now conversing with Shadow, not a talking asperagus-er, Scourge. It could've just been him seeing things, but he swore he saw the other's cold expression soften for a bit.

Shadow returned to his normal hard look and glared at the blue hybrid. "You've been intoxicated and drugged. I thought you were smarter than to leave your drink unattended like that."

Sonic looked at Shadow with confusion. "...Sorry."

"You're apologizing to me? Do you have any idea on what almost happened to you?" Sonic blinked at him in surprise and Shadow frowned. "You were about to be taken advantage of, you idiot."

Sonic merely furrowed his brows as he recalled a memory. ' _You're apologizing to me? Do you have any idea on what almost happened to you?'_ _Strong hands gripped onto his shoulders._ He remembered the words, he remembered a younger him feeling guilty and bawling, but he couldn't remember the voice or face of the one person who cared for him then. He felt frustrated tears gather in the corners of his eyes. He felt a sudden wave of betrayal and anger overcome him as he clenched his fist. Among those feelings, there was also pain and loneliness.

Shadow merely watched Sonic's reaction with confusion. He had no idea what triggered this reaction out of the blue hybrid, and doubted even Sonic understood. If he pressed on it later, the other would most likely not remember a thing. He noticed Sonic's cheek glisten.

"Are you... _crying_?"

"Huh? No, I'm not..." Sonic touched his face and felt his gloves dampen. I took him a moment to actually realize that _yes_ , he _was_ crying. He used his arms to wipe the rest out of his eyes before more could fall.

"Oh, really?" Shadow mused with a raised brow.

Sonic glared at him with reddened eyes, but didn't reply.

Shadow looked at Sonic with brief concern. He expected the other to deny it, considering how in his book Sonic was synonymous with hubris. The lack of response was alarming. Did he strike a nerve?

He frowned, reminding himself that he didn't care about the other's feelings.

"H-Hey, can you do me a favor?" Sonic's voice was hoarse.

"What, is saving you from that green guy not enough?" Shadow scowled, trying to forget how he was concerned about the other just a few seconds ago.

Sonic stared at him with a serious expression. "Can I hold your hand? Just until I fall asleep. Please?"

Shadow was taken aback by the request and crinkled his nose. _What_?

"I don't want to be alone."

Sonic's voice was so lonely and genuine that Shadow's eyes widened, and the memory of someone else clouded his mind. He felt...a twinge of sympathy.

Shadow let out a sigh of defeat and sat on the bed. He hesitantly extended his hand towards Sonic who smiled gently as he entwined his fingers with it. He laid his head down on the mattress and got comfortable, their hands only inches from his face. He gave Shadow's hand a couple of small squeezes and caresses as if making sure that he was in reality and not his drugged fantasy. The warmth and contact reminded him of something he missed, but had trouble remembering as it happened so long ago. He let out a content sigh before giving in to exhaustion.

Shadow watched as the other slept for a few moments before pulling his hand out of the other's loosened grasp. Sonic was calm, and his face relaxed. The trail of tears down his cheeks still glistened under the light, and his eyes were still puffy. He placed a blanket over the younger hedgehog, not because he cared, but the sight of the pant-less teen bothered him. He frowned as sat in a nearby armchair, watching the other sleep, and wondered what exactly his boss had in store for the kid.

* * *

A/N: _The Lounge is pretty representative about the lifestyle Mobian teens have. The restrictions for Overlander kids do not apply to Mobian. For Overlanders, there are rules similar to what we have, like a drinking age and age of consent. Mobians have no laws because many don't have parents to enforce them. They have freedom, yes, but that also means nobody cares about their safety. Mobian children truly are on their own in a harsh world. The Mobian Academy of Station Square was created because of a couple of reasons. 1) Some wealthy sympathetic Overlanders and elder Mobians created a charity because they believe Mobian children are still children and deserve to have a stable lives. 2) GUN supports the school because it allows them to keep control over Mobian children. If they believe GUN cares about them, they won't cause trouble. Any strange activity can be kept under supervision._

 _In this time period, music and the arts are just coming back. Ever since Overlanders and Mobians rediscovered artifacts from the 21st century, stuff from right before the Xorda invasion, the two species have been trying to catch up and surpass what humanity had achieved. The educational focus has been mostly on science and mathematics. The revival of the arts is very new, and Sonic is very musically talented. It's therapeutic for him, music is very significant in his life. Can you imagine any of the Sonic games without their amazing soundtracks? No. No matter how bad the game, the music is always perfect. For example, Sonic 06._

 _Also, Sonic's memory? The crack in his psyche has formed. Really important down the line. It's an integral part of Sonic's childhood and plays a huge role in the person he is today. The person he remembered? Have a memory from when you were younger and someone said something to you, but as time went on you forgot what they looked and sounded like? That's now._

 _Poor Shadow. He's ordered to watch over this kid and now he's actually sympathizing with him? That's not good for him. That's good for us shippers though. I'll take it. Also, Scourge is trash. Hopefully he got a concussion or something. If he hadn't resorted to a cheap tactic, Sonic would've definitely put up a big fight. Remember, Scourge is a_ coward _._

 _Readers, promise me something. If you ever go to a party, don't EVER take your eyes off your drink and just be cautious okay? There's terrible people out there, and they will fuck your shit up. Sonic made the mistake of leaving his drink alone with Scourge because he honestly didn't expect the green Mobian to stoop so low; never trust others with your drink! I feel like this is important to bring up because New Years is just around the corner._

 _Also, I edited quite a few mistakes here, but there's bound to be more? Please feel free to look around and correct me. I'm sure I've missed some._


	6. Endless Possibility

_A/N: I remember when I first came up with this story shortly after a session of overthinking. It was over Sonic's philosophy of "if you have time to worry, just run," because as much as I love him, something about that bugged me. If you push your worries behind and run away, then you're just avoiding them. I felt like this was very... unhealthy. Then at another point, I started thinking about how Sonic seems to lack depth. He's a very positive character, all the negative traits seem to be passed on to other characters like Knuckles and Shadow. Not only that, but his background is entirely unknown (at least, in the game universe). Sonic is more mysterious to me than Shadow, and that's his thing! These thoughts eventually led to this story (Them being in school and hybrids was just stuff I did to make them easier to identify with aaaaand maybe a bit for aesthetic)._

 _I have this curse where I can't enjoy anything anymore without over-analyzing the plot and characters._

* * *

 _ **Chapter 6: Endless Possibility**_

Sonic awoke the next morning feeling groggy with his hand brushing through his disheveled hair. He couldn't tell if he was fully conscious or not, but damn, was he sick. He could feel a strong headache coming on.

"T-Tails?" He asked meekly. "Do you know if we have anything for headaches?" He waited for a response before freezing as he realized something. Tails' warmth was nowhere felt, nor was there a dip in the mattress beside him...and why was the mattress full-size, not a twin?

"Holy Chaos!" Sonic exclaimed as he quickly sat up with a struggle; he was both tangled in the sheets and his headache was getting worse by the second. He was also feeling very nauseated.

That's when he noticed he was pant-less.

His eyes widened in horror and confusion. He had no memory of anything that happened. Just the bar with Scourge, but...Scourge wasn't there?

Did he...did they? Sonic remembered that his briefs were still on, so he figured he hadn't gone all the way. However, he did notice the many hickeys that covered his skin. That green asshole was gonna pay.

He froze as he heard a chuckle. He slowly looked up and there was Shadow, concealing an amused smirk. When did Shadow get there? What the hell happened? Sonic gaped at him, his mind running wild while his body was frozen in shock.

"You're very amusing." Shadow commented.

"H-Have you been watching me sleep?" Sonic squeaked. "You're such a-a creep!" Sonic threw a pillow at the other Mobian, but missed. Damn, the alcohol messed up his aim.

"Is that what you say to someone who helped you?" Shadow narrowed his brows.

"Listen, pal." Sonic hissed. "I feel like shit right now, so I'd appreciate it if you told me why I have all these hickeys on me and what the hell happened last night."

"Your drink was spiked."

"That would explain a lot."

"Scourge took advantage of you." Sonic hummed in response as he thought about how he was going to kick the other's ass. "I came in, knocked him out, and brought you here."

"That's it?" He raised an unsure brow.

"You were crying, but you had no clue why." Shadow continued before noticing the blue-haired Mobian stiffen.

"I was crying?" Sonic asked cautiously.

"Yes. You asked me to hold your hand."

Sonic groaned as he buried himself in the blankets like a giant cocoon. "Ugh, how stupid can I be! I'm really sorry if I bothered you last night. I obviously wasn't in my right state of mind."

Shadow frowned at Sonic. "You haven't any idea on what could've triggered that?"

Sonic shook his head. No, not really. Nothing came up. He blushed. "N-no, but did you?"

The darker Mobian raised a brow. "Did I what?"

"Hold my hand." He answered while flustered.

Shadow scowled. "No," he huffed while looking away.

"Oh," Sonic would be lying if he said he wasn't slightly disappointed, but whatever. "Do you have any medicine for headaches?" The other shook his head. "Well, then...would you mind if I stayed until I felt better? I don't want my family to see me like this..."

Shadow let out a heavy sigh. "Very well."

oOo

Sonic arrived home a few hours later, though the walk there wasn't long at all. Shadow lived one dorm over. Who knew? He still had a slight headache though, but thankfully it was in the process of disappearing. He was also dressed and had just taken a shower, but was extremely embarrassed as his collar hickeys were very noticeable. He'd have to ask Knuckles if he could borrow his zip-up vest; at least it would conceal them better than the one he currently wore.

His knocked on the door and was thankfully greeted by his older brother.

"Where'd you go?" The echidna asked.

"Around." Sonic answered before lowering his tone to a whisper. "Can I borrow that vest of yours?" He asked, noticing that the red hybrid was wearing only his wife-beater.

"What for?" Knuckles asked before he noticed the red spots on Sonic's collar. "Oh."

Knuckles quickly led Sonic to the bedroom and handed him his vest. Sonic removed his and put on the red one.

"How long do you need it for?" Knuckles asked with a frown. "I'll need it back before tomorrow."

"Until they go away. I'll look online or something for any quick remedies." Sonic winked at Knuckles. "Besides, that tattoo of yours is showing!"

Knuckles rubbed his chest subconsciously, the white crescent had been there for as long as he could remember. "You're going to tell me what happened later." He warned the other as he followed the blue teen back into the living room. "We'd be having a serious conversation now if the kids weren't still here."

"I know, I know." Sonic waved his hand in dismissal as he went over to the couch and plopped himself on it. "Just...give me a break. I've had a really rough night from what I've been told."

Knuckles sat next to the other and let out a huff. "Teenage life, huh?"

"Right? Tell me about it...So, how was Rouge?"

"We actually had some fun. I was concerned about where you went and Rouge helped me look for a bit. We got eventually got distracted at the arcade. I let her win a few rounds against me."

"Of course! You 'let her win'." Knuckles glared at Sonic. "I didn't see her on my way home."

"We didn't stay too long after. She said she had work in the morning."

The bedroom door opened and Sonic turned his head to look at the newcomer. Tails was wiping his eyes as he gently shut the bedroom door behind him. He went to the kitchen and opened the cupboards, grabbed a glass, then filled it with tap water. He walked over to the couch and squeezed himself between his older brothers and took a few gulps. He had black circles under his eyes and he appeared half-awake. Sonic briefly wondered if the kid was even conscious.

"Hey, sleepyhead." Sonic greeted after observing the young fox-hybrid. Tails responded by resting his head on Sonic's shoulder with a large yawn.

"I don't understand..." Knuckles began with furrowed brows. "He always used to be second one up, but lately he's been looking pretty exhausted."

"Homework, lots of homework." Tails muttered, too quickly for Sonic's liking.

The blue Mobian made an unsure smile, thankful that Tails was positioned in a way he couldn't see his expression and that his eyes were drooping from lack of rest. "I'm sure all you need to do is adjust. Once you do, you'll be fine."

About a half an hour later, everyone was awake and ready to leave the dorm. The family had begun to walk towards the cafeteria to catch a quick lunch before starting the day. Tails had been staring at Sonic with a deadpan expression ever since he fully woke up.

"What's wrong?" Sonic asked with worry. Nothing would hurt him more than learning that his younger brother was upset with him.

"Where were you last night? Why are you wearing Knuckles' vest?"

Sonic paused. "I got wrapped up in some issues."

"Like what? You can tell me..." Tails said with a frown.

"Adult, you-don't-wanna-know issues." Sonic noticed Tails' frown deepen. "Stuff with cooties. Gross, right?"

Tails stuck out his tongue and scrunched his face. "Blech! Nevermind!"

Sonic chuckled. "I've been infected. The vest prevents it from spreading on me. Don't worry, though. It's not contagious."

The blond smiled. "Even if it were contagious, I'd stay by your side."

"Awww," Sonic ruffled the younger's head. "Aren't you a little sweetheart? But if it were contagious, I'd be in a bubble for your sake."

Tails let out a hearty laugh and then held Sonic's hand, lightly swinging it. "I'm so excited!"

"Oh? Why so?" Sonic asked with amusement. He knew Tails wanted to talk with him; who was he to deny the enthusiastic boy? Especially with his recent change in mood...he'd been very distant, quiet, and tired lately. He was concerned for the younger's wellbeing.  
"I'm almost done with my project! I'm sure the recipient will love it!"

Sonic's mouth widened with realization. _Oh_. "Wait, you mean that science project you're doing with Rotor? Isn't that due next week or something? And don't you mean Eggma-er, yeah, _Eggman_ will love it?" Sonic scratched his cheek. "Recipient? Strange word for a crazy teacher. Very secretive."

"Huh? Wait, wha-Oh! Y-yeah! Eggma-Robotnik." Tails quickly covered himself.

Sonic smirked. "I'm not sure if you're trying to impress that Egghead or whatever like an overachiever or something, but whatever floats your boat, I guess."

Amy entered the pair's convo from Sonic's other side. "I kind of want to meet this 'Eggman.' He sounds like a grouchy grandpa! Plus, I want to know if he really looks like an egg."

"He does." Knuckles said with Cream and Cheese on his shoulders. He made a circular motion with his arms. "And really tall too. More than the average huma-Overlander."

Cosmo rushed to Tails's other side. "He sounds rather intimidating. Overlanders are tall enough as it is."

"Eh, I guess it's because Mobians are usually short. I haven't really seen many tall Mobians except for that crocodile in my history and algebra class."

"You mean Vector?" Knuckles asked. "Yeah, he's really tall."

"Yeah, I used to think Knuckles was as tall as Mobians got." Tails added. "Then I saw that Vector guy? Wow. Sonic you're really short compared to them. No offence."

"Tails, how am I not supposed to be offended by that?" Sonic pouted. "I'm part _hedgehog_ , of course I'm going to be short!"

"Don't feel sad, Sonic! You're very tall for a hedgehog! I've seen pictures of them in my coloring book; they're so cute!" Cream encouraged innocently.

Sonic attempted to suppress a giggle that was bubbling in his throat, but failed. "Thanks, Cream! I sorta wish I was like a wolf or something though. Then I'd actually be a werewolf!"

"Well, technically you're a werehog." Tails shrugged. "'Were' means man, and you're a hedgehog. It fits."

"I like the way it sounds." Amy smiled. "It goes together really nicely; werehog."

"So wait," Cosmo paused and the whole gang looked at her. She pointed to herself. "Does that make me a wereplant? That's dumb."

Everybody laughed, including Cosmo. Sure, the Seedrian had her awkward and distant moments from the family, but they all still loved her deeply. Despite being the most recent addition, she was one of them. It took time to adjust to their dysfunctional family, especially with the tragedy she had gone through...

Sonic shook the horrid memory from his head. Seeing Cosmo so hurt and traumatized...he wanted her to forever know that they would always be there to take care of her, and that he would always protect her.

oOo

The arrived at the cafeteria shortly after and ate with Silver and Blaze. The ivory-hybrid watched Sonic with a worried glance.

"Yo, Silver, what's up?" The blue Mobian asked.

"Where'd you go last ni-" Sonic had repeatedly moved his hand in a slicing motion by his neck, motioning for the other to not speak. The conversation immediately ended and Silver decided he would learn by other means. First, though, he needed to practice his ESP.

"Hey, Sonic! Knuckles!" The family all turned their heads towards the unfamiliar voice. Their eyes met a large crocodile-hybrid with two companions beside him.

"Hey, Cream!" The bee-hybrid cheerfully greeted the young girl.

"Hi, Charmy! How are you?" She responded sweetly, resulting in the bee to blush.

"I'm r-really goo-"

"Hey, guys?" Vector interrupted the young boy. "It's alright if we join your table right? You have a lot of room." He sat himself down without waiting for a reply. His purple-haired companion let out an exasperated sigh as he hesitantly joined them at the table. It was no use scolding the other for his rude actions.

"I see we have Vector and Charmy." Sonic noted with a smile. "And who are you?"

"My name is Espio, Espio the Chameleon. Who are you?"

Sonic stuck his thumb into his chest proudly. "I'm Sonic, Sonic the Hedgehog!"

Charmy had squeezed his way between Amy and Cream so that he could be close to the adorable girl. He liked her; she was pretty, nice and was the only kid in class who actually played with him.

Knuckles huffed. "I bet by the end of this year, this table will be full..." He muttered lowly.

"Not going against that!" Sonic laughed and Tails covered his mouth to suppress his giggles.

Amy frowned as she took a bite of her pizza before looking at Silver and instantly smiling again. "Silver! You and I should hang out sometime. Just us two! We could talk about so many things!"

He raised a brow. "Oh? Like what?"

"You know!" Amy said with a wink while sneakily pointing at Sonic. Silver felt blood rush to his face at an alarming rate. Chaos, sure he was tan, but if it showed and Sonic saw...it would be so embarrassing!

Sonic looked at the two curiously and noticed Amy pointing at him. "Amy! You're not coming up with another of your love conquest schemes again are you?" He scolded.

"No!" Amy said defensively. "Of course not!"

Sonic narrowed his eyes. "Listen, Amy Rose. Silver is on my side. He isn't going to help you set up a trap to marry me. End of story."

Amy rolled her eyes, but figured it would be a good cover. "Alright, no marriage this time."

The blue Mobian hesitantly nodded and began conversing with Blaze about idle things like the nearby shopping district. Amy looked at Silver and playfully shook her head. Sure, she adored and loved Sonic, but she knew it would never happen. But setting up Sonic with someone and getting credit? She was a sucker for cheesy romance.

"A music store? Sweet!" Sonic exclaimed. "If I could get a keyboard and laptop, I could start making my music!"

"You make music?" Blaze asked, intrigued.

"Haha, yeah. I like to sing, play guitar and turntables. My favorite part is actually making the music. Like, sometimes I'll randomly come up with this theme when I'm exploring or running. I'd like to make them real though so everybody can enjoy them. We need more new music and entertainment in this generation."

"I agree. We can only keep reusing the same things from the 21st century for so long..."

"Sonic sings really beautifully; you should hear him sometime!" Silver told Blaze before he could think. He became flustered and both Sonic and Blaze stared at him in surprise.

Sonic smiled sweetly. "Aw, you mean that?" He wrapped an arm around Silver's shoulder. "But next time, I'd appreciate it if you'd use a more manly word. Try 'awesome.' I'll still take your compliment though."

Blaze's eyes widened in realization. _Oh_. A small, knowing smirk graced her lips. It seemed like Silver had a crush on their new friend. She wondered if he realized it himself...he could be incredibly oblivious when it came to many things, romance included.

"I'm so excited for the field trip!" Tails exclaimed from his conversation with Cosmo.

Sonic had overheard the exclamation and turned towards his younger brother. "Right? I'm so siked! We leave Friday the 27th right?" The blond nodded enthusiastically. "That's 12 more days, not counting today!"

"You guys are going too?" Vector asked. "So are we!"

"I hear that many trips happen at this school." Amy announced, gaining the interest of everyone. "I looked it up online during a free period. This school provides many trips during the school year. Some trips are nearby, like Mystic Ruins and Station Square. However, other trips go around the world to places like Soleanna, Spagonia, Chun-nan, Adabat, Apotos...really any major cultural place."

"It would be cool if we could go to them all." Knuckles commented.

"It depends on whether or not one of us have a class that's providing the trip. Trips take a maximum of 100 students, and the kids in the class and their close peers get first dibs. We're lucky you and Sonic have that one history teacher."

"It'd be nice to travel for fun." Cosmo let out a dreamy sigh. "I can't wait to see the sights there."

Espio crossed his arms. "I heard rumors that there is a Chao Garden located there, as well as in Station Square."

"Really!" Cream squeaked. "Amy, we should look for the Chao Garden!" She exclaimed whilst kicking her legs.

"Of course, Cream! That sounds really fun. We'll look at the sights for a bit and keep an eye open for chao." Amy looked at Blaze and Silver. "Feel free to join us if you want!"

"Sure, but won't it be a bit crowded with all of us there." Blaze asked.

Sonic scratched his head. "Nah. Knuckles, Tails and I will be exploring the ruins. Maybe we'll get some cool action by stepping on a long-forgotten booby trap!"

"Wait," Silver paused. "Don't you all stay together?"

"Don't bother asking the Chaotix to join you! We'll be looking for the chao by ourselves!" Vector interrupted.

"Okay," Sonic replied to Vector before focusing on Silver. "We'll stick with the girls for a little bit and help them find the Chao Garden, but once that's done and we know they're safe we'll go our separate ways for a bit. That's usually how it ends up happening."

oOo

Sunday ended up being a short day. The entire group including the 'Chaotix' (as Vector had called them) joined up to go to the training arena again to make use of their time by leveling up their skills. Sonic had run on a treadmill at its highest speed without dropping a sweat while Tails worked again on his flying skills, finding the simulator to be really enjoyable and practical. Maybe he'd be a pilot one day. Amy, Cream and Cosmo sat and talked most of the time, but occasionally the pink-haired Mobian would summon her hammer and use it to beat up a dummy, showing off to the girls. When Sonic got bored of the stupid treadmill, he joined the girls and they all ended up watching Silver and Blaze practice their powers. The ivory Mobian couldn't explain the feeling in his chest whenever Sonic cheered him on. He liked impressing the other.

Knuckles hung around the Chaotix; he spoke to Espio while the chameleon practiced throwing shuriken at a target. Sonic walked over to them before noticing a strange machine nearby. The design of a gold ring adorned the top, occasionally attracting other Mobians as it currently attracted him.

On the machine was an attached piece of paper and a lever.

 _ **USE WITH CAUTION!**_

 _When practicing with rings, remember the following:_

 _1\. Gold rings are used to gain a burst of energy when needed. The more collected, the longer the energy lasts._

 _2\. Available to all Ranks, however, only Rank As and Bs will be able to feel the full power of a ring._

 _3\. Gaining a ring while in a dangerous situation can lessen the damage impacted, however the ring may be lost afterwards and be unable to protect from another blow._

 _4\. If able to collect 100 rings, they may grant the ability to save you once from death. However, any damage done can take away rings._

 _5\. Rings are valuable and used for currency. They are found all around Mobius, but are mostly attracted to Rank As and Bs. Do not steal from machine, these are especially made to last a limited amount of time._

Sonic looked at the lever and pursed his lips. He didn't know rings could be used for more than just money. Should he try them? These rings sounded very cool, but a sudden burst of energy wouldn't be good for his shoes.

"I wouldn't pull that lever if I were you." Silver warned. _Damn! Why couldn't he be allowed to reach his potential!_ Sonic exhaled a deep breath while uttering a few minor curses.

"It's not fair." He whined as he leaned against the machine. "I can't try to improve my speed because my stupid shoes can never take it!"

Silver sucked in a breath, unsure of what to say. "Well, maybe sometime soon somebody will make durable shoes for you?" He attempted to soothe the other by being optimistic.

"...Maybe..." Sonic repeated softly, though his eyes expressed disbelief and annoyance. He wasn't important enough to have shoes made especially for him. His gaze drifted behind Silver in time to see Shadow and Rouge entering the building. Wait a second...the day he had run fast...he was racing Shadow.

How was Shadow able to run so fast without also burning his shoes?

Sonic immediately ran towards the darker hedgehog without thought, earning a few curious stares from both strangers and friends alike. Shadow watched as Sonic quickly screeched to a halt right before him, his eyes narrowed in confusion.

"Blue hedgehog." Shadow greeted.

"Hey! You were racing me that day."

"So I was..." Shadow agreed, unsure of where this was leading. He glanced out of the corner of his eye to find Rouge winking at him while nodding towards Sonic before turning to walk towards the echidna. Great.

"Soooo," Sonic drawled with a smile. "Your shoes! How were they able to stay on?"

Shadow rolled his eyes. "You only just thought about that? Well, either way, I can't respond. These shoes were built especially for me by my creator. I have little knowledge of their durability."

Sonic frowned, but found it a little odd Shadow called his parent a 'creator.' Whatever. Either way, the conversation had left him feeling more dejected than before. "And...there's no possible way they can tell me?"

"He's dead." Shadow replied expressionlessly.

Sonic let out a frustrated groan before finding something else to do.

oOo

The next morning moved swiftly. During science, the moment Sonic saw the green asshole arrive to class, he punched him in the jaw so hard that he flew across the room. His classmates were amazed, and respect was earned by his fellow peers. The blue Mobian wanted to revel in his pride, but grew instantly annoyed when Eggman announced 'detention.'

Scourge avoided Sonic for the rest of the day, and the blue hybrid had a feeling that the other backed down. Maybe he was just planning on revenge? Either way, he knew that the green hedgehog wouldn't be a problem for a while.

After school, Sonic spent a good portion of time in Eggman's classroom. The teacher had completely given up on his student getting his name correct, so he simply accepted the alternate name. However, Sonic was an exception. Anybody else instantly got written up.

The blue Mobian went through Eggman's notebook to see the newer designs. He passed a Cubot and Orbot, Decoe and Bocoe, and several large robots that all began with Egg. Seemed like Eggman had not only accepted his new name, but _embraced_ it; he snorted at the thought.

"Eggman!" Sonic said while he sat on top of his teacher's desk with legs criss-crossed.

"What is it? It's bad enough I'm letting you take a short break!"

He smirked. "Sketch one that looks like me!" He said as he handed the notebook back to his teacher.

Eggman huffed, but grabbed a pencil and began drawing circles and lines on the paper while occasionally glancing at Sonic briefly. Sonic posed on Eggman's desk, even though he knew full well that the other wasn't paying him any attention.

The teacher handed his student back the notebook grumpily. "Now please! I'm in the middle of something important. Ten more minutes then your break is up!"

Sonic chuckled to himself before getting a good look at the sketch. It was a robotic version of him labeled 'Metal Sonic.' So cool! "Thanks, Eggy!"

Eggman humphed in response before turning to his computer. Sonic picked up Gerald's journal and placed the notebook in its place. He flipped through the pages, until something caught his eye. A small water creature with large green eyes and a visible brain. Beside it was many small doodles of many forms of the creature, one looked like a frog-scorpion thing while another was more shark-like. He flipped through the pages to find the mural Eggman had showed him the other week; the mural that always seemed to put him at edge. It really did look familiar, but he just couldn't remember.

The door opened and both Eggman and Sonic looked up. None other than Shadow stood in the doorway. He gave Sonic a brief glare before looking at the doctor. "I'll come back later."

The door closed and the Mobian looked at Eggman with confusion. "Is he a student of yours?"

"No," Eggman responded. "We're related."

Sonic felt his draw drop. "W-what! You two?"

His teacher nodded. "Yes, but we don't really care for each other. You could say we have … a _family business_ that needs addressing."

"Oh, ok." Sonic frowned before skipping through a few pages filled with nothing but words. He noticed another mural, but this one was different. A person that looked like Eggman holding a green gem was versus some blue thing surrounded by a golden aura. Weird.

However, Sonic couldn't stop amusing himself with the idea that the figure could be him.

oOo

Before the family knew it, it was the weekend. Saturday seemed like a normal, lazy day where everyone put aside work and instead enjoyed themselves. Sonic planned on going to the Lounge during the day with Tails to visit the arcade later, since it was apparently open to all ages then. Speaking of Tails, the boy seemed overly excited for something...he figured it was the upcoming trip that was only less than a week away.

"Sonic, I have a surprise for you!" The blond exclaimed as he entered the living room with a large, colorful box in hand. He pushed it into his older brother's hand, smiling when Sonic sent him a shocked look. He couldn't remember the last time he got such a colorful present, if he ever did get one...with red wrapping paper and white bow!

The rest of the family entered the living room after overhearing Tails, curious to know what the young fox had gotten the blue teen. They all watched as Sonic's gloved fingers lightly caressed the satin ribbon.

"Well, open it!" Knuckles encouraged the blue Mobian.

"Yeah, we all want to see what it is!" Amy cheered.

After seeing his families eager faces, he removed the bow and opened the box only to feel his mouth drop when he saw its contents. He had to get a grip on himself because he could feel his eyes start to sting.

"What is it?" Everybody had said at once while Tails beamed at Sonic's expression.

Sonic pulled out the first of the pair; a red shoe with a white strap, adorned with a golden buckle. He held it in his hands carefully, as if he were worried they would fall apart if he treated them any other way. The family all expressed their opinion on the shoes, commenting that they looked nice and that he should try them on. Knuckles and Tails were the only ones who understood that this was the first time Sonic had ever gotten such a thoughtful present.

"T-Tails, I-I can't even-" Sonic stuttered, not really able to process words.

"No problem!" Tails knew Sonic enough to know that he was thankful. _Extremely_ thankful. "But if you think that they just look nice, then you should really try them out."

Sonic bit his lip with an excited smile. He was so happy he got such awesome shoes! He slipped them on, even happier that they were the perfect size for his feet. The best part was, they looked fantastic on him!

"Sonic," Tails said in a tone that immediately caught Sonic's attention. "Don't be afraid to get dirty with those shoes. They are very special."

"But wouldn't that make it any more reason to-"

"Special, meaning, these aren't your normal, everyday shoes. I made them practically indestructible. They can endure a speed much faster than light as well as extremely cold, hot and wet climates. These shoes enable you to explore anywhere at the speed you're capable of."

Sonic and the entire family gawked at the eight-year-old. "W-wait," The blue-hybrid said after he recovered from his surprise. "Is this why you've been so tired lately? You've been working on these shoes?"

Tails nodded. "I wanted you to reach your potential, so I spent my time working on these shoes like you spend all your time taking care of us. Think of it as a way I finally repaid you for always being there for me."

Sonic smiled while hugging his brother. "Tails, you never have to repay your family. I watch you guys because I love you, not because I feel entitled to."

"Well, I made these shoes because I love you and want you to know I appreciate how much you do for us, not because I feel entitled to."

Sonic chuckled. "Touche."

"So," Knuckles began. "Are you gonna try them or not?"

"Sure!" Sonic beamed. "Do I just go outside and run there or?"

"How about we get a ride somewhere?" Tails suggested.

"Where to?" Cosmo asked.

Amy frowned. "And...a ride from who?"

oOo

Sonic had no idea how it happened, but...they were travelling.

...On a 'borrowed' helicopter with Silver, Blaze, and the Chaotix with Tails as the pilot.

He only remembered walking outside with his family with their upstairs neighbors joining them on their walk. They explained that they wanted to test Sonic's new shoes, which both had complimented, and asked them to join. Eventually, they had met up with the Chaotix, which was when Vector had informed them that the storage area currently had a helicopter in need of quick fix. Tails had used his mechanical skills to repair the helicopter and that was how they were currently flying to West Side Island.

"Guys, if we get into some serious trouble for this..." Espio scowled at Vector.

"Relax! They wouldn't have left a broken plane there if it was important!"

"It's fine!" Sonic said from his spot between Silver and Knuckles. The gang was packed tightly together; Cream and Cheese were currently on Sonic's lap and Cosmo on Knuckles'. Amy was seated next to Espio, who had Vector on his other side. She had offered to let Charmy sit on her lap and Blaze was seated in the co-pilot seat in the front.

Eventually they flew over a familiar spot; a large chemical plant with pink water. Sonic instantly remembered the place. "Dang, Tails. It's been ages since we've been here!" He said as he thought back to the time shortly after he took in the fox-hybrid.

"Sonic, you can jump out of the helicopter! I forgot to mention that your shoes can also take long falls! Just don't forget to shut the door behind you! We'll be watching from above!" Tails yelled towards the back of the helicopter, since the propellers made it hard to hear.

The blue hedgehog-hybrid noticed all the worried glances sent his way, but dismissed them. He opened the door and quickly went on the other side with a strong grip on the handle, using his body weight to close it, though Knuckles had helped him shut it from the other side. He saw everyone staring at him with anxious looks, and he responded with a reassuring smile. He looked down and saw the helicopter descend closely to a narrow platform. He dropped himself onto the landing skids, with his hands wrapped around the cold metal while the wind blew his hair in every direction. He waited for Tails to get close enough to the platform before letting go and free falling.

* * *

 _A/N: CHEMICAL PLANT IS MY ZONE, YO. Love the music_. _Hate the blue-liquid thing that pops out. But, hey! Sonic got his shoes! Now the adventure can start. The **Sonic Adventure** …_

 _Get it? Hehehe, oh god I'm so lame. Don't look at me. I'm so awkward._

 _Happy New Year, guys. That's coming up soon. Please review and look for errors and such!_


	7. Lost World

_A/N: No, not named after the game. It's named after a level. First arc of many begins. Bleh._

 _Let's get this party started. Woooo._

* * *

 _ **Chapter 7: Lost World**_

The ride home was filled with animated talk on Sonic's running. He reached an incredible speed and definitely had a powerful skill. Not only was everybody impressed with his new skill of becoming a large blue light that could move fast enough to break the sound barrier, but also with his ability to incorporate breakdancing into many of his moves and easily dodge spikes. His quick thinking and agility was definitely something to be admired.

"Sonic, you're too perfect!" Amy exclaimed with frustration. "There is not one thing you can't do!"

"I know, but hey, what'cha gonna-"

"Well, there are a few things." Knuckles interrupted. Everyone in the back of the helicopter immediately looked at the red hybrid and waited for him to continue. Sonic wearily stared at him.

"Well?" Vector impatiently asked.

"Well, he can't draw." Knuckles began with a smirk.

"That's not bad," Silver shrugged.

"He can't sit still."

Amy frowned. "Well, yeah, but that isn't really a bad thing-"

"Oh, and he's afraid of wa-" Knuckles had been unable to complete his sentence because Sonic punched him hard in the arm. Amy giggled silently, she being one of the few people who actually knew.

The two elder brothers spent the rest of the ride bickering before eventually falling asleep.

oOo

When Sonic awoke, he noticed the helicopter was parked with Rouge waiting outside for them.

"Sonic," she began as she advanced toward him after he and his family exited. "We need to talk. In private."

He nodded and walked with her, casting his family a thumbs up and assuring smile. Most of them were asleep anyways, so it wasn't like they really cared. Rouge led him not too far away, but out of earshot from the others.

"I know what you just did, Sonic. That helicopter is GUN property."

Sonic immediately widened his eyes. "Oh! I'm sorry! We're not getting charged are we?"

Rouge shook her head with a small smile. "We aren't worried about that. What we did notice was your speed and ability. It was incredible, but even more so was your Chaos Energy levels. It reached the capacity of 50 percent."

"Oh."

"No, Sonic, you seem to have forgotten. 50 percent is the maximum for a Rank A when they're in there _demigod_ form. You reached that by just _running_. No excess Chaos Energy needed. You only collected rings, correct?"

Sonic nodded. "Yeah, they just randomly appeared and got absorbed into me."

"That's what rings do. A short burst of energy, but that much energy shouldn't have brought your Chaos Energy levels so high."

"I really wished I could help, but I'm even more confused by this then you are."

Rouge sighed. "I know, this mission currently has me frustrated. So many things happening at once; so many pieces that aren't put together. I'll need to ask a professional about this stuff...I should get going."

"Oh, okay. Good luck, I guess?"

"Thanks," The bat-hybrid smiled. "Be careful on that trip of yours. Mystic Ruins is known to have high concentration of Chaos Energy."

"I will."

oOo

Before the family knew it, Friday had come. They all had their bags packed for the two-day trip and after class they boarded the coach bus that would take them to Mystic Ruins. Cream and Cheese sat with Blaze while Amy sat with Cosmo, Knuckles with Tails and Sonic with Silver. Sonic was extremely happy that Silver let him have the window seat.

"Hey, Knuckles?" Sonic asked while poking the echidna in the seat in front of him. "Do you have the snacks?"

"No, ask Amy."

Sonic turned in his seat to find the pink hybrid staring out her window with Cosmo's head in her lap. "Amy, where are the snacks?"

"Beneath your seat."

"Thanks!" He pulled out the small bag from below and opened the zipper, only to find a ziplock bag with cookies in it just for him. Amy had made treats for the whole family the night before.

"Silver, wanna share?" Sonic offered after the white hedgehog finished his conversation with Blaze, who had the aisle seat right across from them.

"Sure." Silver grabbed a couple with a smile before the blue Mobian placed the bag between them after grabbing a few of his own. He rested his head against the window as he mindlessly chewed on his treats, only to eventually drift into a light sleep.

When he awoke, it was nighttime and the bus had halted in front of a motel. Eventually everybody got settled into their rooms that would only allow a maximum of four students each. The girls had all agreed to share a room while the boys did the same.

The motel only had two beds, but the couch in front of the TV was able to pull out a bed, which Knuckles claimed. The room was small and had a microwave, mini fridge, and bathroom. Sonic and Tails decided to share the full-size bed and let Silver have his own. Sonic figured the size would be even better since they were so used to a single one. Everyone took a quick shower before retiring for the night.

"Looks like the girls will have to go without a song or story tonight, huh?" Knuckles commented as he got comfortable in his bed and switched the TV channel to a good station.

"Please, they're probably gossiping with Blaze about girl stuff. I doubt they really care." Sonic rolled his eyes while getting into bed beside Tails, who was waiting eagerly for a song. Silver was already in bed, reading his book for English and avoiding looking at Sonic who was wearing boxers and an oversized t-shirt. He couldn't help the fact that his eyes lingered on the other's legs for too long. "So, what do ya want, kiddo? Story or song?"

"Song!" Tails immediately answered. "The one that goes with knight Sonic!"

"The King Arthur stories I tell? With King me, Gawain Knuckles, Nimue Amy, Blacksmith Tails?" Tails nodded. "Now that we have more friends, I wonder if they'll start appearing in my dreams...maybe I'll have a new story to tell in about a week or two. But you want to hear Knight of the Wind?"

"Yup!"

"Very well, then." Sonic cleared his throat and began humming a beat. He began singing softly so that he could lull the other to sleep. " _Whoaaa Whoaaaa Whoaaa Whoaaa Whoaaaa. Hey all, welcome to the greatest storm. I know, you have waited much too long. And I, I will be your shining star. I'm here, here to conquer near and far. Like a sword, I'm wrought, into the heat of day. Like a knight, I fight. Until the fight is won. In a rage, I save each and every, each and every, each and everyone. 'Til this war is won. And I live to rule, by the sword, slashing through the every inch of the power, the power in you. As I sit, as I stand, by the table I command. My kingdom. I'm the knight of the wind. Knight of the wind._ "

Tails had already fallen asleep, as he was snoring lightly. The arm slung over his stomach that clutched to his shirt told Sonic that the double bed would be no more different than a single. A louder snore not too far away also informed him that his singing had also put Knuckles to sleep. He didn't even need to finish his song. Awesome.

Silver turned off the light and shuffled in his sheets while his eyes adjusted to the dark. He faced towards Sonic's bed, glad that the other was the Mobian closest to him. Eventually he made out the figure of the blue teen who was snuggled into the sheets, slowly trying to shift his position so he wouldn't wake Tails. Sonic had found himself partially on his stomach and side while facing Silver with the young fox burrowed into his back.

The emerald eyes glanced at Silver, noticing that the other was staring at him. "Hmm, what's up?"

Silver shrugged, glad that the darkness was able to hide the light blush in his cheeks. "I guess I'm just excited."

Sonic chuckled. "Same, but we should really get to sleep." He yawned into his pillow.

Silver awkwardly shuffled while Sonic had already closed his eyes. "C-can I ask for a favor."

"Hmm, sure." Sonic replied sleepily.

"Can you hum to me?"

Sonic instantly began humming a gentle tune; Silver thought it was a shame that it didn't have lyrics to go with it. He thought of words to go with the melody, " _In the night light, do you see what you dream? All your troubles, are they all what they seem? Look around you, then you may realize all the preachers, all with their lies..._ " That was all he managed to get within a span of at least eight minutes before he noticed the humming had stopped. He looked at Sonic, only to find that the other had fallen asleep and was breathing heavily. The gentle and peaceful face was different for once, Sonic always displayed some type of emotion while he was awake. It was strange seeing him so calm.

 _Cause every night I will save your life and every night I will be with you. Cause every night I still lay awake and I dream of an absolution._

He fell asleep.

oOo

Silver awoke in a state of panic. He was yelling with his hands in his long, white hair to get the horrible image out of his head.

"Shhh, Silver. It's okay! It's just a dream, it's not real!" He heard Sonic's voice soothe him. His eyes met the concerned look of Sonic's green ones. The gleaming emeralds instantly comforted him, as well as the other's hand brushing through his hair. He felt his breath return to an even pace.

"What happened, Silver?" Sonic asked with worry, backing up a bit to let the other sit up. Silver had only just notice both Tails and Knuckles staring at him from the opposite end of the bed.

"I-I had the dream again."

Sonic paused as he thought back to when Silver first met him. He told him his mood was affected by a certain dream plaguing him. "The end of the world?"

Silver nodded. "I haven't had them for a few weeks...since we met, actually."

"Well, what happened in it?"

"There was a giant monster...he was made of magma and rock. He destroyed everything in his way."

Knuckles rolled his eyes. "Ugh, just a nightmare. I'm going to take a quick shower before we head out." He left while Sonic sent him a glare. Knuckles could be so inconsiderate at times!

"Ignore him." He told Silver. "But like, remember what I said, okay? It's just a dream, so don't worry. We're here for you, it's alright to have nightmares. Just don't believe them."

Silver nodded, his eyes solemnly staring at his lap. "Thank you."

Sonic winked with a toothy grin. "No problem! Besides, we have a big day ahead of us!"

oOo

The boys met up with the girls to walk to breakfast at a nearby diner. The meals were pre-paid so all was fine as they enjoyed a hearty meal. None of the boys brought up Silver's nightmare.

They took a train to the ruins shortly after with their other classmates and teacher. Amy had brought a bag with snacks and water for everyone, and put herself in charge of holding the map. For fifteen minutes the gang entertained each other by playing guessing games until their means of transportation stopped.

They left the train station and began exploring. First, they toured Windy Valley and sky glided for a bit before taking a minecart into the forest. They looked at all the plants for a bit and even briefly visited the ruins before returning to the station.

"I thought it would be more fun!" Amy frowned. "We did everything already!"

"Knuckles and I wanted to go in the temple, but nooo. 'Too risky,' you said." Sonic mocked.

Blaze sighed. "This can't be all this place has to offer..."

Cosmo frowned. "I found the forest very beautiful..."

"Yeah! It was very nice of Big to let us rest at his place for a bit! Froggy was so cute!" Cream replied to Cosmo, making the Seedrian to smile.

"Well, we haven't gone in the caves yet. Let's try there?" Silver suggested.

The family followed through with Silver's plan to explore the caves. Perhaps they would find something interesting, or so they thought. The caves were just that. Caves. Beautiful caves, but nothing really worthwhile was located within.

Sonic led his family through a narrow passageway. It wasn't very noticeable unless somebody decided to go off the path and managed to fit through the tight squeeze. Luckily, everybody was thin enough to crawl through the crevice. On the other side was a run down minecart, covered in dust and rusted. It looked forgotten and long abandoned.

Tails inspected the machine and the tracks that led into a dark tunnel. "Despite its lack of use, it seems like it's still functional." He looked at Sonic. "Should we go in it?"

Sonic sat himself in the cart. "Yeah!" The other seven members of the group, not including Cheese, squeezed uncomfortably into the cart. Tails pushed the lever down and it started to move into the unknown. Cream and Cosmo both clutched onto Sonic while Cheese flung himself into his chest. Good thing he was well used to crowds by now...

A light appeared at the end of the tunnel and soon enough, a blue sky and green field appeared. It was beautiful with a shimmering lake and waterfall. The most notable feature however was...the abundant chao that inhabited the place.

They found it. They actually found the Chao Garden.

Amy, Cream and Cheese, and Cosmo all squealed in delight. They were all so cute! Some were swimming, others were crawling, some running or flying. Each gained strange features as they interacted with nearby animals that also inhabited the place.

Sonic ran over to a small chao wanting fruit from a tree it was unable to reach. He shook the trunk and the fruit fell in his hands. He handed it to the small creature and watched as a heart appeared over its head. It ate happily before looking at him then flying towards his face. Sonic caught it in his arms and snuggled with it. Chao were so cute. He only had a split second to take notice of a swarm of chao ready to tackle with him with more hugs and small kisses.

Knuckles and Tails made their way to a pair of chao; one happy and the other grouchy. Tails giggled as he sat down next to the two and began petting the happy one. Knuckles, feeling sorry for the grouchy one, sat down next to Tails and set the moody one in his lap. He attempted to please it, but it kept feeling disturbed. He let out a heavy sigh.

Silver and Blaze walked over to a couple of chao, one of which was sitting in a patch of flowers with the other nearby.

"That's so precious," Silver commented with a smile. "I bet they're really close hugging like that."

Blaze nodded, smiling, before widening her eyes in shock. "Silver, they aren't hugging-"

An egg appeared and Silver's mouth dropped. "O-oh." He looked at Blaze. "This is awkward..."

"Agreed. Let's look around some more." They quickly left the scene to find other, less busy chao.

The younger girls were playing in the shallow, crystalline water with several chao swimming around them. Cheese was quickly becoming well acquainted with the other chao, but didn't stray too far from his beloved Mobian.

Silver walked over towards Sonic; seeing the blue Mobian on the ground laughing as several chao attacked him with love made his heart swell. The sight was too adorable to ignore. He knelt down next to the other and watched as the other's green eyes were directed towards him, the giant grin still on his face.

"I'm thinking about spending a few more minutes with these guys before heading back to the ruins. Wanna come with?"

"Sure."

"Can you do me a favor and ask the other's whether they wanna come or stay? I'm a bit occupied at the moment." He said with a giggle.

Silver smiled back and did what was requested. Blaze was with the other girls when he found her, and asked them all whether or not they wished to join Sonic at the ruins.

"No way!" Amy quickly rejected the quest. The two younger girls agreed to stay with her, and Silver looked at Blaze expectantly.

"I'll stay with them. We have...things we need to discuss."

Silver nodded, not picking up on the way Blaze hesitantly said 'things' and headed towards Knuckles and Tails. He asked the two the same question, resulting in both boys to stand up, prepared to go. They returned to Sonic, who was now sitting up with several chao in his hair, lap, and on his shoulders. Sonic gently picked up all the chao and placed them on the ground, promising to return eventually. They departed from the garden on the minecart and left the caves all together before heading towards the ruins in the middle of the forest.

The sky was getting darker, but many classmates and teachers were still found on the trail. The group of four entered the largest temple on the spot and explored the inside, admiring the hieroglyphics and looking at the historic art.

Knuckles stared at the art closely with his hand on one of the murals. A memory of him visiting the temple as a very young child with his father flashed through his mind. He noticed that he could decipher the strange symbols on the wall, but didn't bother speaking up. That was too weird...

"Knuckles, what's up?" Tails said in a barely audible whisper.

He shook his head and removed his hand from the wall. "Nothing."

The boy frowned with disbelief. "It looked like you were reading them..."

Knuckles looked at the kid and let out a nervous chuckle. "That's ridiculous! No way!"

Tails sighed and walked away towards Silver and Sonic, the latter was searching the wall and floor while earning disapproving stares from other tourists and archaeologists. He giggled, "You're still not going on about those traps and secret passageways, are you?"

Sonic stopped what he was doing and placed both hands on his hips, letting out a heavy sigh. "I think we need to go further inside. There's gotta be something."

"But that part is closed off." Silver frowned. "Only officials and authorized archaeologists are allowed in."

"Yeah, and I think you've been watching too many movies lately..." Tails added with a stifled smirk.

"No, I don't think so." He rapped his knuckles on the stone wall. "It's like something's calling me from deep inside. If I didn't know any better, I'd say it was Chaos Energy..."

"Chaos Energy?" Silver asked. "Sonic, if you're going by what I said when we met, I told you it was just a legend. Not real." After seeing Sonic ignore him and continue feeling the wall, he continued. "Besides, how would you even know what raw Chaos Energy feels like? We feel it through what we can generate, not from some sort of lost artifact..."

"You told me from a gem." Sonic eyed Silver. "What if that isn't as much of a legend than you thought it was?"

"What? You've seen one?" Silver asked with disbelief.

Sonic froze...he _had_. Shadow had one. A red one. Eggman had circled a seven in his notebook. Six were still unfound, as far as he knew. Emeralds, they were Chaos _Emeralds_. Not only that, but the time Shadow held his hand with the emerald in his other, he had felt the raw power charge into him. It was similar to the raw energy he felt here, though the one in the temple was more like calling him, not filling him with a rush of power. Everything seemed to piece together, but what he couldn't figure out was why _him_. He wanted to know. He remembered the promise he made to Shadow and shook his head. "No, but it wouldn't hurt to explore."

Knuckles made his way towards the trio. "I agree, we should go deeper." He narrowed his eyes at Silver. "If you don't want to come, you can go back."

Silver shrugged and looked at Tails. The two nodded at each other before the blond spoke up for the both of them. "We'll come."

When nobody was looking, they moved quickly, but cautiously to the unauthorized passage and made their way through. Luckily for them, it appeared as if all the archaeologists had retired for the evening, but the exclusive area did not contain lights.

Tails stepped on something and it rolled beneath his foot. He picked it up and pressed a button. A flashlight. He aimed it towards the ground and looked for others like it. Only one other flashlight and an unlit torch. Knuckles picked up the other flashlight and illuminated the walls. Silver picked up the torch and scowled. Only if Blaze were here.

Sonic smirked as he found a box of matches on the ground. "Jackpot!" He scratched it against the side of the box and it became alit with a tiny flame. He quickly put the flame on the torch which almost instantly became covered in fire. Damn, these scientists had a lot of good stuff.

They looked at the designs on the walls and noticed Knuckles reading a small tablet.

"Heya, Knux? You found something?" Sonic asked.

"I-" He paused. "I think so..."

The other three encircled around Knuckles as they watched him hesitantly touch it. He remembered being here with his father a long time ago. He remembered the tablet holding a certain order to unlock something. He was certain he remembered that order. He pressed the symbols into the wall gently, shocking the others who thought it was solid. When he finished, the wall shook on its own and the floor beneath them disappeared. They screamed on their way down into the dark abyss.

oOo

Knuckles had been first to reach the ground, landing on his head with Tails landing right on top of him. He shot the younger boy a glare and the kit immediately got off him. Silver landed next, using his psychokinesis ability to levitate himself just before he hit the ground before gently releasing himself and landing on his feet. Sonic was last to fall, and like Knuckles, was about to fall on his head before being caught by Silver's telekinesis and dropping into the other's arms. Sonic immediately got himself out of the other's flustered grip with an embarrassed blush on his cheeks, uttering a quick thanks. He felt extremely awkward.

The sound of rushing water filled the silence between the four boys. Sonic and Silver disregarded the torch that had fallen with them as they noticed a light by the end of the tunnel. Knuckles and Tails turned off their flashlights and stuffed them into their pockets in case they were needed. The younger hybrid briefly considered investing in a toolbelt.

They walked towards the end of the tunnel and there appeared a small pool of water. Knuckles took note of the small platform at the end with another tunnel behind it.

"How's there light here?" Tails asked as he noticed the plants on the other side and looked up. They were deep inside the temple, yet the inside was bright as if the sun had come with them.

"Must be ancient echidna stuff." Sonic answered while looking distastefully at the pool before him.

Knuckles jumped into the water, not at all concerned by it as it only went up to his hips. "We've got to get to the other side."

"W-wait up!" Sonic bit his lip as he stayed with his back against the wall and carefully treaded to the other side via a small ledge. No way in hell was he doing it Knuckles' way. Silver flew his way over to the small waterfall and walked up the stairs and Tails used his twin tails as a propeller to make his way across (amazing Silver, who was previously unaware of this ability), with Knuckles and Sonic following from behind.

They ran their way through a long tunnel that occasionally had blocks on fire appear out of the ground. Soon enough, they came to a bridge that was so high that the ground couldn't be seen-if there even was one. A statue of a giant snake opened its mouth at the end of the bridge, leading to the rest of the trail. Sonic instantly stiffened when he realized they had entered a large water pit. Unlike the pool, the water here was _very_ deep and a long, snake platform moved in circles above the water, while occasionally submerging.

"It looks like the the only way we'll make it through is if we solve the puzzle." Tails pointed to a closed door several stories up with three unlit fixtures above it.

"Looks like we'll have to raise the water levels too." Sonic said with a pout.

"C'mon, Mr. Invincible." Knuckles teased. "Time to get rid of that stupid phobia of yours."

"Phobia?" Silver asked, not knowing that even Sonic had fears.

"Shut up, Knuckles!" Sonic hissed. "You're in no position to talk right now. I think I speak for all of us when I ask how you _knew_ there was a secret passageway here!"

"I didn't know, it just came to me!" Knuckles argued.

"Yeah right! You could read those symbols, I saw you!"

Knuckles growled. "Okay, okay! I remembered my dad bringing me here as a kid. That's how I knew. But trust me, that's all I remember as of now. I have no memory of _this_." he gestured towards the moving platform.

Sonic sighed. "Whatever. You're gonna carry me when we get on that snake thing though."

"Alright, just as long as you get on those upper platforms and complete the puzzle."

"Deal."

oOo

After they finished the puzzle, they walked through the door and ran against the end of the cliff with many mountains in sight. _How_? Weren't they just deep underground? They entered another part of the temple that was dark, only filled with mirrors and small fractures of light. Clever. They made it out to a part where the currents of a stream took them further down into the temple, with Sonic grabbing onto Silver's jacket the entire way down as it as the closest thing to him. In the end, they all fell out of a waterfall and landed on springs that eventually lead them to another tunnel. Not even a few seconds of walking down the tunnel had passed before they were being chased by a giant, flaming boulder. Sonic, full well aware that Silver wasn't fast enough to outrace it like Knuckles and Tails were, grabbed the other's hand and practically dragged him down the long tunnel before leaping onto a higher platform and making it past the door.

They climbed up to a higher point of the room they were currently in by pressing buttons and climbing up the walls. Well, Silver and Sonic did since Tails just flew to the exit and Knuckles could climb the walls. After a bit more running and passing through the temple, they made it to a large chamber. A long stone path lead up to a large mural. Sonic felt his heart beat erratically as he looked at the same mural that was in the journal. The creature...from his nightmare. He had long forgotten it and now, after being resurfaced in memory, it instilled the same fear in him. Those emerald eyes...all that hatred.

"Sonic? Sonic!" Silver attempted to snap him out of his trance as he stared at the mural. Sonic looked at the Silver hedgehog with shock.

"We shouldn't be here. This is bad, really bad."

"What's wrong, Sonic?" Tails asked in a worried tone.

"Yeah, Sonic." Knuckles narrowed his brows. "I think I speak for all of us when I ask you why we have to leave so early." He mocked, earning a glare from Sonic. How dare he use his own words against him!

"Listen, Knucklehead." He pointed to the mural. "That thing is bad news. I have a feeling that if we stay here too long, something bad will happen."

Knuckles rolled his eyes. "That's so stupid. Don't tell me you believe that crap!"

"You don't understand! I've seen it happen!"

"How the hell could you have seen it happen if it never did!"

"I had a dream about it before we got ourselves into this mess!"

"Oh? A dream? Yeah, like you're suddenly a psychic!"

Sonic let out a frustrated breath of air. "Listen, Eggman had that same mural in his grandfather's journal. I had a dream about it. Something's going on and I want to found out what. However, I want to do so in a way that _doesn't put our family at risk when we're all here,_ " he hissed.

"Oh, so why don't we do it now?"

"Aren't you listening to me? We're all at the ruins, you idio-"

"Guys!" Tails called from near the pools of water. "I found something that might interest you."

Sonic and Knuckles exchanged glares before looking in the direction Tails was pointing. A small, green gem was submerged in the shallow water. Sonic widened his eyes. No, no, no. Why was everything finally coming together too quickly? Tails was with him, and the girls were not too far away. If he had come alone, it would be different, but...

He saw Knuckles walking through the knee-high water towards the gem with a determined look on his face.

"No!" Sonic yelled before jumping in the water and running towards the gem itself. Knuckles could do something reckless. He had been weary of his older brother ever since he found the secret passage.

They lunged for the gem at the same time then tried to pull it out of the other's hands. Tails and Silver called for them, but it fell on deaf ears. The two were too busy fighting to notice the bright light surrounding them.

They vanished.

* * *

 _A/N: Sonic wants an adventure, but protecting his family is the number one priority. He'd do anything for them, even sacrifice his own fun or forget about his fear of water just to keep them safe. Even forfeit knowing his true identity. Knuckles, on the other hand, just wants to know what the hell is going on._

 _I will forever be convinced that Dreams of an Absolution was meant for Sonic. Like just listen to the lyrics, bruh. Silver knows the future, Sonic controls the past. "ONLY YOU KNOW IF WE SHALL LAST" hell yeah, point proven. Shhh. Silvonic/Sonilver confirmed. (lol jk)._

 _No, but Shadonic/Sonadow is the main ship of this story, my friends. Shadow is taking a quick break, but will be back soon. He's just observing on what's happening, lying low as ordered, but will definitely be intrigued even more by our blue hero. We all should know what's coming._

 _Please review and check for errors! I was listening to the Fallout 4 theme as I edited this, and maybe got a bit distracted...hehe._


	8. A Chaotic Day

_A/N: Sorry for the long delay, school is rough. Bleh. Anyways, more cracks in this chapter. Hope you guys enjoy it, even though I feel it's pretty fast-paced. I mean, there's a legitimate reason for it though. Too much will happen of the span of one weekend. Gotta go FAST (lol I'll stop). I'm not really experienced with writing stuff like this though so it's all just practice. I'm sure somebody will give me advice._

* * *

 _ **Chapter 8: A Chaotic Day**_

It was dark once again. The two brother's immediately stopped their quarrel, Sonic instead opted towards calling for Tails while Knuckles felt the gem in his hands. The green emerald and it's energy felt oddly familiar to him...

"Knuckles!" Sonic called in a panicked voice. "Why are you just sitting there? Tails and Silver could be needing us!"

Knuckles looked up in the direction he heard the other's voice. "The two can fly, I'm sure they made it out safely."

"Well, do something useful and get that flashlight of yours out. We need to get out of here." The blue teen paused. "Unless we can use that gem to get us back?"

"What do you think I'm trying to do?" Knuckles snapped.

"How am I supposed to know?" Sonic huffed as he crossed his arms. "It's not like I can see you, you know!"

Knuckles took the flashlight out of his pocket and turned it on as he got off the floor. He searched the ground, which was covered by dust and broken structures as though abandoned for a long time. It was strange, since the Ancient Echidna's had been gone for centuries yet they were just in a place that was completely intact. Perhaps their current location had been abandoned by the echidna's themselves?

"Hey, shine up a little." Sonic nodded his head as a small gesture, and Knuckles whipped his flashlight's light from between them to the wall. Another large mural was shown, only this one was the other in Grandfather Robotnik's journal. The Eggman-looking person was reaching for a green gem with a person surrounded by a golden aura on the opposing side. _Strange_. The younger Mobian noticed a tunnel being revealed by the light. "Let's keep searching for an exit."

The two walked through a tunnel, immediately feeling a rush of adrenaline and power.

"You feel it too, ri-"

"Yeah," Knuckles interrupted Sonic. They continued to advance towards a chamber and there saw a bright green emerald. It much larger than the one Knuckles held in his hand, looking to be about as high as the echidna's waist. It was on the ground awkwardly as if it did not belong there. Knuckles shoved the flashlight and smaller emerald into Sonic's arms before kneeling beside the giant gem with both hands on it in awe.

"Hey, Knuckles?" Sonic said as he shone the light on a red ball on top of a small platform. "Any idea on what this thing is?"

"No," Knuckles said as he stood up and heaved the giant emerald onto his back. He let out a small grunt as he tested his strength and shifted the position so that he would be comfortable carrying it.

"What are you doing?" Sonic asked, shining the flashlight on the gem.

"It doesn't belong here. We need to move it."

"Move it _where_?" Sonic rolled his eyes while shining the light on all four of the room's walls. There was only one tunnel and that led to the room with the mural. There was no way to go.

"Find out what that red thing does."

Sonic sighed loudly and sent Knuckles an annoyed look though the other couldn't see it. He walked up to the red ball, only to find it start glowing as he got closer to it. Knuckles followed from close behind. He touched it, then felt his whole body move around in circles before appearing in another place.

The new location was bright and sunny, the sky was blue with several white clouds. He remembered that they had entered the temple in Mystic Ruins during the evening...were they really gone all night? Vines covered the marble-like structures that seemed to travel across the sky. He noticed the red light glow once again and Knuckles appeared with the emerald. Sonic quickly turned off the flashlight and placed it in his sweatpants pocket.

"Where are we now?"

Knuckles eyes widened in realization. "Sky Sanctuary." He breathed out in awe, before looking behind him. "Which means...we just left Hidden Palace."

"I don't know where any of those places are."

The red Mobian shook his head. "You're not supposed to know. My father...he said these places were hidden away by the Ancient Echidna. He was the only one allowed to access it, but he told me a lot about it."

Sonic looked around the majestic place. "So why'd you leave him?"

Knuckles frowned. "I don't remember that much, but I recall him telling me that he would show me this place one day. I guess...I never stuck around long enough."

Sonic gave Knuckles an earnest look before looking at the path before them. "Let's get going and put that emerald where it belongs. We shouldn't leave the kids alone for too long."

They ran the trail, though occasionally Sonic would have to wait for Knuckles to keep up. The echidna was no where near as fast as him, even before he got his new shoes. With the emerald on his back, the pace was even slower than before. It didn't help that some parts of the path kept falling apart.

While they were walking for a bit, Knuckles realized that this was the first time he was alone with his younger brother for a long time. Traveling with the blue teen like this felt nostalgic. "Don't you miss the days when it was just us?" He felt the words fall from his mouth before he could think them through.

Sonic raised a brow as he turned to face his brother. "What do you mean?"

"Like, yeah, they're good kids." Knuckles began. "But wasn't it nice when it was just the two of us, when we only had to watch each other?"

"...What are you trying to say?" He narrowed his eyes.

"Uh, that came out wrong." The redhead paused. "I like them too, don't get me wrong. Not as much as you, but as good friends. Just...don't you hate having to take care of them all the time? By their age, we were on our own."

"I don't want them to be like us. They deserve to be happy."

"We _were_ happy-"

Sonic frowned. "I wasn't happy until Tails became my little brother, you know that."

Knuckles observed the other before nodding in understanding. "I get it."

"Get what?" The blue Mobian raised a brow.

"The kids. They're the family you always wanted, the love you never had."

"Huh?"

"Listen, Sonic. Having a parent and being a parent are two completely different things."

Sonic scowled. "Shut up, it's not like that at all! How would you even know what caring for them is like? I did all the work, so quit complaining. If you don't like it, leave."

Knuckles growled in response. "You have no idea how many times I've wanted to."

"Then what stopped you?"

"You're my best friend, I can't just leave you."

"What about the others? What do you want to do, ditch them?"

"No." Knuckles rolled his eyes. "I care about them too, but I guess you taking in all these kids just stressed me out a lot. Whatever, what's done is done. I just wanted to vent it out, I guess. It's been on my chest for years."

Sonic's expression softened. "Look, I know you miss those days. It was pretty selfish of me to add all these kids without ever consulting you first, but...they need me. They've been through a lot and I know I can protect them."

Knuckles frowned. "Sonic, they're growing up. They won't always need you. There's a difference between having and being a parent. Parents always love you, but you eventually leave your parents."

"That's not true." Sonic glared. "I was abandoned. _Twice_."

"I mean parents that actually love their children like you love the kids." Knuckles raised a brow. "Don't tell me you never thought of that? The fact that they'll leave you one day."

"They won't. They might have their own lives, but they'll never abandon me. I'm not stupid, Knuckles. I understand life happens."

The echidna sighed. "People leave, that's also a part of life."

"I _know_ , now let it drop. I don't care if the kids leave me, I'll always be there for them. I'll always be there for anyone who needs help. The whole world could turn it's back on me and I would still be here. I know not to be that person."

"...Okay, I didn't mean to get too deep into this, but even that's not a good philosophy to live by. You don't owe anyone anything if they've done nothing for you. No need to be a...what's it called? Altruist? Yeah, that."

"I've learned a long time ago that another's happiness is worth more than mine. If they're happy, I'm happy. As long as I can be someone's hero, I'm good."

Knuckles sighed. "It's so like you to say that. Listen, as much as I don't understand your complete selflessness, I'll just put it out there that you shouldn't think like that. If you're willing to go that far for the world, then you better make sure you find someone who'll be able to do that for you or else you'll never find a stable source of happiness."

A long uncomfortable silence passed between the two while the blue Mobian pursed his lips and averted his gaze in deep thought. It annoyed the echidna that he couldn't decipher the other's thoughts, he only hoped that his 'vent that ended up being more than a vent' at least got through to the hedgehog.

Sonic finally let out a heavy huff and gave the echidna an annoyed look. "I have no clue how your pent up frustration over nothing ended up becoming a critique over the way I view things, but whatever." He pointed towards the emerald. "Putting all of that aside, we have bigger things to do. It'd be best if I didn't have my older brother acting like some therapist and instead we actually get something important done."

"Hey! I'm just trying to pass the time."

oOo

"How much farther do we have to go?" Sonic whined after he helped Knuckles lift the emerald and run as the ground behind them had fallen apart.

"Almost there. You see that altar over there? We put the emerald on that."

When they approached the altar, Sonic helped Knuckles steady the large gem on it.

"Now what?" Sonic asked as the gem sat in place.

"Hold on..." Knuckles placed both his palms on the gem and closed his eyes, concentrating deeply. Sonic kept his hand on the gem, even as it glowed. What if it teleported the two of them like the smaller one did?

Turned out that he was correct. He saw the emerald shine bright with a green aura before his vision went black.

oOo

He was at the foot of a different altar with a young echidna-hybrid girl, her face filled with sadness as it was set ablaze. Sonic looked at the ground surrounding him. Many injured chao laid in pain, the sight made the blue teen's breath stiffen. The poor things...

"Why...?" The girl spoke. "Why did this have to happen?" She looked at him, and he was surprised she could see him. "It's terrible! I have to stop it!" She ran up the steps of the altar towards the emerald.

Then he woke up.

oOo

Sonic opened his emerald eyes to the night, starry sky above his head. Where was he? He looked around and found himself at the ruins of an altar- the altar from his vision. The emerald was in place, as it should be. He looked at Knuckles, who was still unconscious. Sonic wondered if the older teen was also having a vision.

Soon enough, the echidna woke up and Sonic sighed in relief. "Did you have a vision too?" He asked.

Knuckles nodded. "Yeah. About some echidna girl. This isn't the first time though..." Knuckles admitted.

"What do you mean?"

"The first night we moved to the Academy, I saw her in my dream. She was talking to her dad about how more hatred didn't lead to peace. Another time, she was at this altar talking to something, asking for it to move. Sorry I never told you, it didn't seem important."

Sonic was about to scold the other for keeping secrets, before remembering that he himself kept secrets. He sighed, "Well, what about your current vision?"

"The altar was on fire. She was begging her father not to enter, but he and his men pushed her down. She and the chao were injured. Yours?"

"Basically what you said." Sonic sat down on the steps before the altar with the green gem in his lap. He was tired, and he had no clue where he was or what time it was. He needed his sleep. Knuckles sat beside him and looked at the sky, the constellations were bright that night, and the abandoned ARK was in view.

Sonic looked up at the sky with him. "The world is so big, kinda makes you want to explore it all. Embark on every adventure you come across."

"Yeah..."

"I'm kind of hoping this becomes something big...but I don't want the kids to get hurt. I'll always protect them though. Nothing will get to them without getting past me first!"

Knuckles smirked. "Hey, me too!" He nudged the other lightly in the rib. His vent from earlier really helped him relieve years of stress.

Sonic chuckled. "We should probably get back to the motel and make sure everyone got there safely."

"Let's just take our time. Enjoy the scenery. Relax. We just climbed an entire sanctuary, unlike you, I'm exhausted."

Sonic smiled. "Hey, I'm tired too! I probably could've ran that place in three minutes if I hadn't been waiting for you too move along!"

Knuckles laid back against the stone floor of the altar using his crossed arms as a pillow, and Sonic joined him. They stared at the sky and gently closed their eyes while listening to the forest around them.

 _Crack._ The two immediately jumped up as they heard the emerald behind them shatter.

"How the hell could this happen? It was fine a second ago!" Knuckles yelled.

Sonic jumped to his feet with the smaller emerald in hand and looked at the large emerald as a small puddle seeped through its cracks, followed by a red ball of light. _What?_ He heard laughter behind him.

Sonic turned around to see his science teacher sitting in a strange machine. "E-Eggman?" He asked the man with a raised brow. He never heard the man laugh, let alone make a cocky grin.

"Sonic, my dear boy! I knew it would be you to return the emerald to its rightful place!"

Sonic looked between Eggman and Knuckles, who looked furious. "I don't understand? What are you doing? Why are you so _happy_?"

"Because of you, I can use the power of Chaos to rule the world of course! It's been my plan all along. I hated being a teacher. My talents have been wasted! What's better than being a mad scientist?"

"Power?" Sonic asked in shock, remembering when Robotnik had first explained to him about Chaos Emeralds. "That speech you made up about helping people and powering machines...that was for yourself, wasn't it?"

"Robotnik!" Knuckles fumed. "You played us all along!"

"Of course I did." Eggman rolled his eyes as if it were the most obvious thing. "Manipulation is key to getting what you want!"

Sonic glared at his teacher. "So all this time..." From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the puddle moving towards him on its own accord. He backed away with the emerald gripped tightly in his fist.

"Not now, Chaos. We'll get all the emeralds soon enough. For now, we must retreat."

The puddle was absorbed into the earth and vanished, and not a second later did the island vibrate as if an earthquake had struck. Both Sonic and Knuckles lost their footing and fell.

"Good luck, boys! It's only a matter of time before this island hits the sea!" With that said, Eggman and his flying machine took off, leaving the two teen boys in horror.

"Does that mean...this whole island is falling?" Sonic asked in sudden realization.

Knuckles nodded as the red light hovered over his shoulder. "With the emerald broken, the island can't stay up on its own. We'll have to repair it..."

"We have to do that quickly! If this falls into a sea, that would cause a massive wave!"

"Listen up, Sonic." Knuckles looked at Sonic. "We'll have to split up for a while."

Sonic looked at him with confusion. "But wouldn't it be easier if we looked together?"

Knuckles shook his head. "This red light told me that only I am able to look for the missing pieces. Apparently they're scattered all across the area. Besides, you need to watch out for the kids and keep them out of trouble. Eggm-Robotnik's out there with that strange thing loose. Try doing everything you can to stop them."

The blue Mobian nodded. "Should I try looking for these emeralds then?"

Knuckles looked at the small gem. "Yeah, Eggman said that they'd get all the emeralds. Get them before he does and protect them." He paused. "Looks like you'll get you wish. This is going to get really big."

Sonic smirked. "Yup! I suppose I'll see you soon, Knucklehead." He winked at his older brother.

"Yeah, see you soon."

oOo

After running around the island, Sonic eventually found an exit. At the ledge of one end of the floating island, he was able to see a stable cliff, which he leaped towards only to find that he was back at the Mystic Ruins. It was late, very late. He explored the outskirts of the temple and the Chao Garden for his family, only to find them missing. He avoided the train and ran to the motel on the tracks, finding it faster and more convenient, and knocked loudly on his door when he arrived. Silver opened the door with shock, letting Sonic in quickly.

"Sonic! What happened? You just disappeared!" Tails said as he lunged himself into his older brother's arms. It was 2 a.m., Sonic noticed while glancing at the digital clock beside the bed.

"Did you just come from a fight?" Silver observed Sonic and saw the dirt and filth all over his clothes.

"Where's Knuckles?" Tails asked, looking around.

"Listen up, you guys." Sonic said seriously. "Knuckles and I just got out of something big. This is no longer a simple field trip." He rubbed his temple as he organized his thoughts. "When we vanished, we ended up finding a giant emerald, a bigger version of this one." He showed them the shining emerald in his hand. "We took it to an altar, where it belongs, but our teacher, Eggman, is actually evil. He shattered it and let this water creature come out. He wants to rule the world by using that thing and these gems, but we have to stop him. Also, the altar was located on a floating island, which is now in the process of falling. Knuckles is looking for the pieces of the emerald so that he can stop the island from causing a huge tsunami."

Tails and Silver looked at him in surprise, taking everything in slowly. The albino hybrid sucked in a breath. "You're joking?"

"No, I'm not." Sonic said as he flopped onto his bed. "I'm exhausted now, but as soon as I wake up we need to start looking for the rest of the emeralds."

"We can't just ditch school and the trip," Silver said with a frown as Tails took the emerald from Sonic and inspected it. "The teachers will be at our throats. GUN could get involved!"

"Silver, I think I'd rather get yelled at and kicked out of school rather than knowing my crazy science teacher fooled me, won, and now we're all under his rule." Sonic sighed and relaxed in bed before giving in to total exhaustion.

Silver looked at Tails. "What are you going to do?"

The fox hybrid licked his lips as he stared at the emerald in awe. "I'm going learn more about this emerald and its properties. Perhaps we can use it to pinpoint the location of the others..."

"What should I do?"

"Go tell the girls what's happened. I'm sure Amy is still awake fussing over that Flicky she found."

Silver sighed. "Alright."

oOo

Sonic awoke at eleven the next morning with a rush of his memories from the previous night in mind. He couldn't help it, but love that feel of adrenaline run through him. The night before, he was bit too serious, but he was tired then. Now that he got all his rest, he was ready to bring down that crazy old man!

He walked outside and saw his friends and family on the lawn, talking animatedly. He advanced towards them, only to see Amy with a Flicky by her and Big nearby. Why was he at their motel?

"It's okay, Big. We'll find Froggy!" Cream assured the big, purple, cat-hybrid.

"So, what's the news as of late?" Sonic asked the gang.

"I found this Flicky being chased by a weird robot after we left the Chao Garden! Blaze helped me take it down, but it left before we could get rid of it for good!" Amy said as Sonic watched the bird flying around with a purple gem tied around its neck. This was good! They had two emeralds, then Shadow had one...

"Take good care of that Flicky, Amy."

"Don't worry! I will!"

"Oh, and Big lost Froggy!" Cream spoke for her depressed friend as Cosmo counseled the poor Mobian.

"Oh," Sonic stated simply, recalling the frog he met while hanging out at Big's house in the forest the other day. "If I see him, I'll-"

"But something weird happened to him before he left!" Big interrupted suddenly. Sonic gestured for him to continue. "He swallowed some of this weird water and grew a tail! Then he ate my lucky charm!"

"W-wait! Strange water?" Sonic asked.

"Yeah!" Big looked at the green emerald in Tails's grasp. "And my charm! It's like that, but yellow!"

Sonic gawked as he looked between Big and the emerald. "Big, I think your friend may be in a lot of trouble. We need to find him as soon as possible. Getting the emeralds is our top priority."

"Let's split up into groups!" Tails suggested.

"Alright. Who's doing what?"

"Cosmo, Blaze, and I can help Big." Cream volunteered.

"I'll go with them." Silver suggested.

"And Birdie and I will hang around Tails! After all, we can help him learn about the emeralds properties since we have one ourselves!" Amy chirped.

"Sweet! I'll try locating that Egghead and that Chaos-thing. Keep your heads up for anything weird."

Everyone nodded, but stopped in their tracks as a large shadow covered the land they walked upon. They all looked into the sky and saw a large airship head over the motel. The Egg Carrier, Sonic remembered from one of Eggman's sketches. Where the hell did his ex-teacher keep all this stuff?

"It looks like it's headed towards Station Square." Blaze mused before glancing at the blue teen. "We'd best start going."

Sonic nodded with a smirk planted on his face. The gang separated into their groups and left in opposing directions, while Sonic ran on the train tracks towards the city.

oOo

Knuckles had only found 3 three shards of the large emerald- the Master Emerald. He was currently excavating Red Mountain on the falling island.

Rouge flew in the sky until she noticed the red echidna. She made her way down and landed on the side of a cliff with him.

"W-what are you doing here?"

Rouge glared at him. "What's going on? I get a call at two in the morning telling me that a floating island is suddenly falling? Now a huge airship is headed towards Station Square? Traces of large, emerald shards containing massive amounts of Chaos Energy are all over the place and I'm forbidden from looking for them?"

"Listen, I'll tell you what you want to hear. Just don't distract me from my mission."

Rouge sighed, but nodded. "I need all the information I can get. My boss isn't too pleased with all the chaos going on right now."

"Who's your boss?"

Rouge paused for a moment before realizing it wasn't worth keeping a secret any longer. "You can't tell anybody this, but I work for GUN." Rouge glanced at Knuckles, who nodded. "I'm a spy for them and need to fill them in on any information I come across."

Knuckles nodded as he dug into the ground and pulled out another emerald shard. "I'll tell you anything you want to know then."

The bat-hybrid smiled before hearing her transceiver go off.

 _Ch-GUN forces needed ASAP in the main plaza by the Central Station. A strange, water-like creature has appeared with a substantial amount of concentrated chaos energy. Need backup. Ch- Blue Mobian just appeared. Fighting the creature. Ch-_

Rouge sighed as she turned off her transceiver and gazed at the red echidna. "While Blue takes care of that thing, you can fill me with the deets. I'll help you look for some shards before I have to report back."

oOo

Sonic arrived at the scene only to find the Chaos creature from before wreaking havoc on the innocent civilians and police. Finally being able to see its form, he ran towards the creature and punched it with all his force, only to find his arm go through it. Oh right. Water, duh.

Even with the challenge, the blue teen continued to give the creature everything he had. He heard the familiar sound of a machine approaching with the booming sound of Eggman's laugh. Sonic glared at the teacher he once trusted.

"Oh, look!" Sonic sneered. "A giant talking egg!"

Eggman snarled but pulled out a small red emerald- Shadow's emerald. Sonic looked at it in surprise. How did he-? "Chaos!" Eggman sang. "I've got dinner for you!" He threw the red gem at the creature, who absorbed it and it began to morph. It had grown bones in its right arm with the gem visible in its palm. Sonic cringed as Eggman resumed his loud, boisterous laugh and watched as the blue teen struggled to fight the liquid monster, especially with its new strength. Sonic bit his lip, but became surprised when he saw Cream with Cosmo and Big arrive at the scene. The young rabbit girl held a small box in her hands, and instantly, Sonic knew what it was.

They found another emerald.

The trio stayed close to the officers who kept their distance yet remained armed within their blockade of police cars. Cheese, who accompanied Cream everywhere, became frantic when he saw the water creature. The Chao immediately flew towards the dangerous enemy and Cream ran after him, worried for his sake. She would do anything to keep her longest companion safe. With the box in her hand, she pushed through the blockade to the open space Sonic fought Chaos. She grabbed Cheese, an action Chaos saw and took to offense. The creature raised his bony arm into the air and aimed to attack her. Sonic quickly calculated the attack and ran after Cream, picking her up and taking her and the Chao in her hands back to the blockade.

"Sonic! The box! It fell out of my hands!" Cream cried as she pointed behind him.

He turned and the white gem laid on the concrete, glowing brightly before being picked up by Chaos and absorbed into his left arm. Like before, the arm morphed until it grew bones with the white emerald in its left palm, as well as changing its head to resemble that of a hammerhead's and becoming taller and more muscular. Sonic cursed under his breath, but then let out a sigh in relief, knowing full well that Cream's safety was at the top of his priorities.

"I'm your only opponent here. Leave the others out of this!" Sonic yelled at the creature before running straight through its center. His hand planted on the ground as he landed, and he quickly swung his legs to turn. Chaos turned with the current hole in its chest rapidly filling with water. Sonic struggled to think up a strategy.

"Sonic!" He raised his head to see Knuckles jumping on the creature with a fist aimed towards its visible brain. The creature let out a cry of pain before staring at the redhead with its giant, but dull emerald eyes.

"What are you doing here?" Sonic asked as he got into a fighting stance and dodged an incoming attack.

"Rouge was helping me find some pieces of the gems at Red Mountain. Then I heard that you were dealing with this thing. Figured I might as well join the fight since some shards are here too."

"How many do you have?" Sonic said before attacking the brain once again, now knowing that it was the creature's weakness.

"Six. I found three inside the temple and three on the mountain." Knuckles lunged at the brain for a third time and Chaos screeched before once again returning to it's puddle-like state and seeping through a manhole into the sewers.

Sonic and Knuckles high-fived each other as the officers and remaining crowd applauded them. The blue teen walked up to Cream and Cosmo with concern. "I want you two to find Blaze and get back to the school. If anybody asks questions, say that your family is attending important matters, alright?" The two girls nodded and looked at Big sadly.

"Sorry we can't help you anymore, but when we reunite with Silver and Blaze, Silver can help you!"

Big scratched his head and smiled. "It's okay! Cute bunny girl and plant girl have to be safe, right?" The girls covered their mouths as they giggled sweetly before each taking a hand and dragging Big towards the station.

Sonic shifted towards Knuckles. "I'm going back to Mystic Ruins to check up on Tails and Amy. Any idea where they are exactly?"

Knuckles nodded. "There should be a landing area near a workshop by the caves. Last I heard, they went over there for tools."

"Thanks, Knuckles!" He said right before speeding off towards Mystic Ruins.

oOo

"Sonic, it's horrible!" Tails cried as he clasped his hands against his face. "A robot called ZERO took Amy and Birdie away!"

"W-what?" Sonic asked with widened eyes.

"It just took off with them. I tried to fight it, but it was really strong..." Tails frowned with disappointment in himself. "But since then, I've been working on a plane!" He pointed to a red plane on the landing area. "It looked like it hadn't been used in ages. I figured no one would mind if I repaired it and made it my own. Oh-" The kit, who Sonic just realized was now wearing a satchel, reached inside and pulled out two emeralds. The green one and now a blue one. "Apparently, you can use one emerald to find the others. It started glowing brightly as I walked closer towards the workshop, and soon enough, I found the blue one."

Sonic ruffled the other's blond hair with a smile. "Don't be too hard on yourself, you've done a lot!"

"R-really?" Tails asked in surprise.

Sonic hummed happily in response. "You repaired a plane to make the trip faster and found another emerald! With this baby, we can save Amy!"

He heard a laugh that was quickly becoming way too familiar and jumped down to the lower ground, only to bite his lip in frustration. Chaos and Eggman were near the waterfall. How could they catch up so fast?

"The emeralds are here somewhere, Chaos!" Eggman encouraged the creature before locking sights on Sonic and the fox-hybrid behind him. Oh yeah, the little boy from his old robotics class. He groaned before noticing the two gems in the boy's hands. "Chaos!" He ordered. "Get those gems now!"

Sonic hissed as he realized the creature was headed towards his younger brother. He ran head-on towards the creature, only to be sent backwards as a blue energy field appeared.

As Chaos charged towards him, Tails used his tails to hover off the ground and quickly speed towards Sonic. He slipped the gems into his satchel and pulled out a golden ring. "Sonic! Take this!" He threw the ring towards his older brother, who caught it, feeling a boost of energy run through him. He charged towards Chaos and looked for its brain that was now unfortunately deeper within his body. He attacked a few times, only occasionally hitting the brain, but not enough.

Tails clenched his fists as he watched the fight with anticipation. There was no way Sonic could lose! He was too focused on the fight between his older brother and the monster that he failed to see a mechanical claw reach out and tear his satchel away from him.

"H-hey!" He yelled as he reached for the bag, but was swatted away by another claw. The claw holding the satchel brought the bag to the Doctor and he cockily held it in his hands.

"Chaos!" He threw the gems at the creature who once again absorbed them. He morphed into a shark-like creature with fins and increased in size. Sonic remembered the drawing of this form in grandfather Robotnik's journal.

"C'mon, Chaos!" Eggman laughed triumphantly. "We're done here!" He flew away as Chaos became liquified and was absorbed into the Earth. Sonic walked over to Tails who covered his mouth in horror with teary eyes.

"S-Sonic, I'm so sorry!" He said with a quiver as his tears threatened to spill.

"Tails, don't worry about it!" Sonic said with a smile. "As long as you're not hurt, I'm fine. Besides, you have that plane and we still need to rescue Amy!"

Tails nodded and bit his lip as he composed himself. He still felt horrible for messing up, but as long as Sonic wasn't disappointed… "Alright!"

The two raced towards the plane and Tails hopped into the pilot seat while Sonic sat on the wing. The young boy started the engine as he put on his goggles. The propellers spun faster and he started to accelerate the plane. "Ready? Go Tornado!"

The plane took off and they flew towards the Egg Carrier.

* * *

 _A/N: So much is happening too fast! Can't really have much of a break though when an island is falling and is about to cause a massive wave that'll kill thousands. Sonic really needed that rest though, apparently not getting eight hours of sleep messes with him._

 _Poor Knuckles, he missed it a lot when it was just him and Sonic. Really their moment in the temple was the only time that actually had time alone in years, which is why they such a deep conversation. It's not like he hates the kids or anything, but he's nowhere near as close to them as Sonic is. Sonic sees them as family, Knuckles sees them as friends, but he doesn't mind if they look up to him as an older brother. Sonic was always the one that took care of them unless he had to do a quick errand or get food. Our hero was the one mostly responsible for making the extra coin to keep them fed and cared for. I notice that usually when I have vents with friends, it ends up being more than just a vent. Basically that's what happened here with Knuckles trying to figure Sonic out...Foreshadow! Well, enough about that, that's a story for another day. For now we continue the adventure!_

… _.the Sonic Adventure…lol, I'll just stop now. I'm such a loser. All in all, next chapter is the last in the SA arc. Wooo, and then the Sonadow can start as we move on to the next game in the franchise hehe._


	9. Open Your Heart

_A/N: GOTTA OPEN YOUR HEART TOO. Crush 40 is bae._

* * *

 _ **Chapter 9: Open Your Heart**_

Amy awoke to find her cell was cold and dark. She shivered as she cradled Birdie in her arms. She smiled as she felt the bird nestle into her chest for warmth. At least she wasn't alone this time.

' _This time? Had this happened before?'_ She scrunched her brows together as a memory scratched the surface of her mind.

' _I want you to do something for me, Amy...Everything that's ever made you sad or hurt or scared, just forget it all okay? I'll carry your pain for you._ '

They were just fragments of what was truly said that night, but those words were all she had left. She had to honor those words. Her fingers caressed Birdie's head gently, as she pursed her lips in thought.

' _I shouldn't force myself to remember things he doesn't want me to, I promised him I wouldn't. It'll be okay because he'll save me. He always does._ '

She glanced up and tensed at the sight of green, glassy eyes staring at her intensely from the other side of the bars. Had that robot been watching her this entire time?

Her caring hold on the Flicky became protective as she attempted to conceal Birdie from the other's blank gaze. She narrowed her eyes.

"What do you want!"

"Hand me the bird," it replied monotonously.

"No!"

"Quietly hand me the bird."

"I said no!"

"Why?" It asked her.

She paused for a moment, surprised that a robot was questioning her, before going back to her cold demeanor and pointing an accusatory finger at the robot with her free hand. "I don't need to tell you anything! Tell me why you want Birdie, now!"

"Does not compute…"

"What?" She tilted her head to the side as she walked up to the bars with suspicious eyes. "Are you...trying to understand me?" Her eyes widened with realization. "You're not like that other robot...the one that captured me." She gave it a pleading look. "Please, won't you help us?"

"Insufficient data. You have feelings for something you know nothing about...illogical!"

She let out a heavy sigh before giving the robot a sympathetic glance. "Love mustn't be part of your programming then. That's sad, you're missing something good."

Birdie flew out of her hands and hovered before the robot's eyes, staring deeply into it. She raised a confused brow as she watched the interaction between the two, before jumping in surprise when she noticed the robot turn towards the levers and pull one, resulting in the bars of her cell to descend out of view.

"Go. Escape."

She blinked, startled, as her eyes met those of the robot. "A-are you sure?"

"It's dangerous here."

Relief rushed through her, she couldn't help the gentle smile that melted on her face. "Thank you, that was very nice of you...you really are different from that other robot." She mused aloud as her gaze drifted towards Birdie who flew back to her side and rested on her shoulder. She glanced back at the robot. "You have a soft spot inside you. If you want, we can be friend! Okay?"

Birdie tweeted happily as Amy raised her hand to give the robot a gentle wave. "We'll be seeing you soon, alright? Thank you so much for your help!" She turned and ran out of the room to find a way back to her family, meanwhile the robot stared at the door as it closed, before glancing back to the lever with conflicted thoughts.

oOo

Silver and Big had been hunting together for Froggy for a while now. They stowed away on Eggman's ship after they saw four robots capture different frogs and leave, with one of them being Big's companion. They walked through the twists and turns of the hallways inside the ship until they reached the deck. There they saw Amy run towards them from another doorway, only to watch as her bird friend was snatched from her hands by a mechanical claw.

"H-hey!" Amy yelled before becoming angry and summoning her hammer. "Give her back!"

Eggman had the claw pull the necklace off the Flicky before throwing her back at Amy, who rushed to catch her. He brought the claw close to him and with his hand, he took out the purple gem and admired it.

"That doesn't belong to you!" Silver hissed as he attempted to use his powers on the emerald, but to no avail.

"Where's Froggy?" Big asked. As Eggman prepared to respond, Sonic and and Tails arrived nearby in the Tornado. The blue Mobian glared at Eggman as he saw the gem in his hands.

The robot from before arrived with the green frog in hand and the Doctor summoned Chaos. Sonic rushed over towards the robot in an attempt to grab Froggy, but quickly dodged the sudden bullets being pelted towards him.

Amy panicked as she looked between the two. "Stop!" She begged. The robot began flying while aiming more bullets towards Sonic, the frog still in hand. The teen managed to jump high enough to kick it down hard so that it would crash onto the ship. He ran towards it to give it a finishing blow before Amy ran in front of him and held her arms out to defend the robot.

"Don't hurt him! He saved me! We're friends!"

Sonic halted and stared at her for a moment before letting out a heavy sigh. "Alright. A friend of yours is a friend of mine!" He replied with a small smile. The frog leaped away and advanced towards a puddle that had appeared. Eggman, now noticing Chaos' arrival threw the purple emerald towards the creature, where it was once again absorbed into its being. It morphed into a scorpion-like creature with razor teeth, eight eyes and devilish tail. It's brain was too situated in its body to be reached. Knuckles had run onto the deck too late with a sack, noticing the creature with a startled look. Sonic saw his brother's arrival and crouched into a fighting stance, prepared to take on the monster. It didn't take Knuckles long to realize that the younger wanted his help.

They worked together to defeat the monster by freezing it and hitting it with its own ice it created and shattering it, but they tried their best not to aim at the poor frog that was in the middle of all the action. Chaos eventually let out a crying wail before completely shattering, leaving the emeralds and Froggy behind.

"That was amazing, Sonic!" Amy squealed as she hugged him tightly.

"N-No! This can't be!" Eggman yelled in anger. He pressed a button on his Egg Mobile and the airship began to shake uncontrollably. "So long, hedgehog!" He spat as he flew away from his own aircraft.

"Sonic! We're losing altitude!" Tails panicked.

"Your plane!" Amy pointed at Tails' plane as it was being hijacked by a clueless Big and Froggy. They flew off into the abyss beneath them as the ship continued to slowly descend.

Knuckles, who still had the sack, put the six emeralds into it, pleased to know that the frog had the courtesy to get rid of it before leaving.

"How's the big one?" Sonic asked Knuckles.

"It's just about good. I got the rest of the pieces from Casinopolis, Station Square, and this ship."

Sonic nodded before looking at the kit. "Tails, take Amy with you and leave the ship."

"What about you!" He asked worriedly. "You're the only one left here who can't fly!"

"I jumped off a helicopter with these shoes, remember? I'll be fine, don't worry about me. Just take care of each other." Tails nodded and held Amy's hand as they ran off, but first, Amy had to make sure her robot friend was okay.

Knuckles sighed and glided his way off the ship while Silver used his psychokinesis to get off, sending Sonic an unsure glance before he did so. After a running start, Sonic launched himself off the ship and fell to Mobius; he could feel the wind fill him with the same amount of adrenaline as running did. It was only until he got closer to the bottom did he start yelling for his life, crashing into the many trees on his way down and landing with his face in mud.

He got up and looked around, finding himself near the main temple. He went to a nearby stream and washed his face with the water. As he did so, he heard the familiar sound of Eggman's Mobile and watched as the crazy scientist flew across the sky with it. He immediately ran after him.

The base was found at the end of the ruins- Eggman's hidden base. He sneaked his way inside it and beat up as many troublesome robots as he could, before meeting up with the Doctor and his Egg Viper. He used a rocket to launch himself to a higher platform and collect rings to beat the damned thing and its many lasers and spiral, spiked platforms. When the Doctor was near defeat, he tried to take Sonic out with him by aiming the explosive machine in his direction- which failed. After the thwarting the Doctor's plans, he left the base and ruins to meet up with Tails at the workshop.

There they both decided it would be best to find Knuckles.

oOo

They found red hybrid not too far from the altar on the falling island with the sack tightly in his grip. As they got closer, they were surprised to find an unconscious Eggman by his feet.

"Eggman? But I just beat him?" Sonic turned to face Knuckles. "Did you do this?"

Knuckles crossed his arms and growled. "No. I found him like this."

Tails grabbed a nearby stick and used it to poke the Doctor, only to tense in shock when he began to stir. "H-he's alive!?"

Eggman huffed. "Of course I am!"

"Hey, I just beat you!" Sonic frowned. "How'd you get here? What happened?"

"Chaos! Chaos happened!" The Doctor spat. "He turned against me!"

"Why?"

"He wants to use the power of the emeralds for himself!"

"Tell us where he is!" Knuckles snapped while clenching his fists.

"Calm down there, Knux." Sonic soothed the echidna while gently lowering the other's fist.

Eggman rolled his eyes. "I'd love to stay and chat, but I have an escape to make!" With that said, the Doctor ran into the forest.

"Should we go after him?" Tails asked.

The redhead shook his head. "If what he's saying is true, we should find Chaos and stop him. If he gets all seven emeralds, it'll be impossible to defeat him."

Sonic nodded in agreement before his vision became clouded in darkness.

The blond hybrid froze in fear as both his elders fell to the ground beside him.

oOo

"A continuation of my dream..." Knuckles said from beside him. Sonic watched as many ancient echidna warriors charged towards the Master Emerald on its altar, only to vanish in a bright light. "They all disappeared?"

The blue teen shook his head. "All but one..." He ran up to the girl he saw before, currently laying on the ground with eyes closed. "Are you okay?" He asked her.

The echidna hybrid weakly pushed herself off the ground and looked at him with her blue eyes. "I knew this would happen!" She gazed at the burning altar with the flames reflected in her eyes. "I knew this would end only in disaster!" Her hands covered her head in shame. "Why, father? Why didn't you listen to me!"

She walked up the stairs to the Master Emerald with Sonic and Knuckles close behind her. "You must understand," She began without tearing her gaze from the emerald. "The servers are the seven chaos. Our hearts intensify their power. The controller serves to unify the chaos. The seven Chaos Emeralds take what's in our hearts and turn it into power." Suddenly, she became frantic. "But if the heart that wields the emeralds is full of nothing but anger and fear, then that power will bring pain and destruction to the world!" She clasped her hands tightly in a prayer. "You must stop Chaos!" The emerald shined brightly until the entire vision went white.

Sonic and Knuckles simultaneously woke up with Tails standing beside them with a relieved expression.

"Do you understand what she meant?" Sonic asked.

Knuckles eyed Sonic with seriousness. "We can't let Chaos get the last emerald."

Just then, they saw Amy running towards them with a cyan gem in hand followed closely by Silver. Knuckles stared at the two in horror.

A rush of water enveloped the two hedgehogs, and Sonic rushed in to save them both. Knuckles dropped the sack and kicked the water, leaving an opening for Sonic, with Amy in his arms, and Silver to escape. The sack that had been dropped fell into a crack in the earth that had only just appeared, and Tails quickly flew towards the others as the crevice beside him became filled with water before draining as it devoured the gems.

Amy screamed. "The emerald! It fell from my hands!"

The five searched for any remaining gems, only to find them all missing.

Knuckles stared at them all with crestfallen eyes. "I guess...that's all seven emeralds now."

"How could one field trip come to this?" Amy exclaimed in apprehension, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. "I'm so sorry, you guys!"

"That creature...it has all the emeralds...it's invincible now..."

"We have to try to stop it!" Sonic encouraged. "It would've found that gem anyways, so don't get worked up over it, okay Amy?"

Amy nodded, but the unsettling vibration as the island hit the sea made her wrap her arms around Sonic's neck in fear.

His emerald eyes widened in realization. "We need to get to Station Square immediately!"

"I saw your plane as we ran here! It's not too far away!" Silver informed them all.

Immediately the group followed Silver to get to the Tornado before it was all too late.

oOo

Rouge sat in the president's office looking at the news. The manholes bursting with water, the tsunami, the many citizens running for their lives. It was terrible.

She briefly wondered how Shadow was. After all, the Doctor had made it clear he wanted the darker hedgehog to lie low. She heaved a heavy sigh as she watched her co-workers all fuss over sending more forces to the flooded city.

She could only hope for a miracle.

oOo

The gang struggled to keep on the small plane, though Amy was secured in Sonic's firm grip. They looked at the ruined city below them and saw many Overlanders and Mobians running about with grief-stricken faces. They looked at the sky above them as once again, a large shadow appeared above them.

"I thought that thing was destroyed!" Silver yelled.

"Back off, Sonic!" Eggman's voice over an intercom snapped at them. "Chaos double crossed me! Now it's payback time!"

"He's on our side now?" Sonic raised a brow.

They watched from above as the water began to vibrate, as well as the broken down structures. A building that was barely standing had water rush into its upper levels. From it, appeared the giant face of a reptilian, water monster. Sonic remembered those hateful eyes from his nightmare and saw them once again, only this time they were real. The monster stared at both their ships and its pupils contracted. It let out a fearsome roar.

"I built the Egg Carrier 2 just in case something like this happened!" The Doctor yelled at the beast with the intercom still on. "Now, you stupid beast! You have defied your master! You must be destroyed at all costs!"

The teens on the plane watched as Eggman's second airship shot lasers at the monster as it separated itself from the building and moved forward. It opened its huge mouth and aimed a strong ray of Chaos Energy at the machine. Tails himself had barely avoided it with his plane. The airship caught on fire and began a series of small explosions as it headed towards the water down below.

Sonic pointed towards a bridge with several Overlanders on it with his free hand. It looked stable enough to support the plane. "Tails! Land on that bridge!"

The fox Mobian quickly steered his control wheel and landed on the bridge. The gang all immediately got off the plane and planted their feet on the concrete. A bright light appeared before them and the echidna girl from the flashbacks appeared.

"You again?" Sonic raised a brow.

She looked at him sadly. "My heart has always been in the Master Emerald along with Chaos'. Now he's filled with anger and sadness. If this goes on, he'll destroy the world like he did before!"

Everyone's eyes, the gang and crowd, were set on Chaos. He spat the emerald's out, and they landed on the bridge with the others. The were no longer the vibrant colors they had seen and marveled at before, they were dull.

"He's absorbed their power..." Tikal said with horror as she picked up an emerald and held it close to her chest. She looked at Sonic. "He must be sealed in the Master Emerald now!"

Sonic furrowed his brows in deep contemplation as he stared at her. "How would that work?" Tikal watched him with confusion. "Sealing him won't change how he feels, will it? If we leave things the way they are now, then his anger won't vanish! He'll just be trapped and nothing will change!"

"What choice do we have?" The girl asked with desperation.

Sonic bit his lip as he thought, until he saw Silver, Knuckles, Tails and Amy walk up to him with an emerald in their hands. Big and the Doctor also ran up to him with emeralds while Tikal opened her palm slowly to reveal the drained gem.

"Chaos only used the negative power of the emeralds!" Tails explained. "Maybe we can find a way to harness their real power!"

Knuckles sighed with a smile. "I think the kid's right."

"Don't you hold a lot of Chaos Energy in you?" Silver asked. "You can definitely do this!"

"Perhaps negative forces aren't the only way to empower the Chaos Emeralds!" Tails continued. "If we concentrate our positive feelings on them, then maybe that can make them work!"

"Yeah, and together we should create a lot power!" Amy cheered.

They handed Sonic the gems and the nearby Overlanders watched Sonic with anticipation. A news reporter named Scarlett Garcia made sure to capture what was going on Live as she watched what happened before her.

The blue Mobian closed his eyes and concentrated on the positive energy of his friends and himself, before feeling the weight of the gems lift from his arms. The other's nearby and those watching TV all watched as the gems returned to their glimmering color and encircled him. A bright light surrounded him and a rush of energy enticed him. He opened his eyes, now red, and wore a traditional ancient echidna red skirt with a golden breastplate around his neck that displayed the Emeralds. His hair was golden, as well as the aura around him. He looked like...a god.

The viewers from the White House and GUN watched the screen in awe.

"I thought..." Tikal uttered to herself. "That the power of the emeralds could only be unleashed with fear and anger..."

Sonic rose from the ground and charged at Chaos faster than he ever had before. The speed and flight the emeralds gave him...he felt so powerful, but he knew what he had to do. He had to protect his friends, family, everyone, from the monster before him.

He aimed right towards Chaos and broke through the other's forcefield and dodged the ray of Chaos Energy emitted from the other's throat. He noticed Chaos aiming another ray towards the bridge and quickly flew back towards the others. With his hands in front of him in a defensive position, he protected everyone on the bridge, earning many cheers from the crowd.

"You can't stop me!" Sonic taunted Chaos with a determined grin.

Chaos, angered even further by the taunt, went to attack Sonic with one of his water tentacles. The crowd screamed in terror until he caught it with his clasped hands. It disintegrated shortly after. The power he displayed was so incredible to them.

The teen shot the creature a cocky smirk. "Is that the best you can do?"

It charged up another ray from its mouth and aimed it directly at him. Everyone watching the action stared in horror as he charged towards into it, disappearing into the monster's mouth. A breath-taking second later, small rays burst through Chaos and the creature froze in place as it became golden in color, then dispersed.

Sonic flew nearby, marveling at his work on neutralizing Chaos. He felt a pang in his heart as the energy within him completely drained, a light enveloped him before his clothing and natural color returned to normal. He fell to the earth, his eyes closing since his body was worn out. He could vaguely hear his family's distinct screams and yells as he fell from a great height into the flooded city below him. They knew he couldn't swim.

A dark shadow caught the exhausted hedgehog quickly out of sight and brought him onto the high story of a nearby ruined building. He opened his emerald eyes to see a familiar hedgehog-hybrid staring at him with ruby irises.

"S-Shadow?" He asked in a soft voice. "Where have you been?"

The dark hedgehog shot him a sympathizing glance. "That was your first time holding all that Chaos Energy. Next time, it won't be that exhausting."

Sonic, once recovered from his exhaustion, immediately noticed the position he was in. Shadow was holding him like he was some sort of damsel. He became flustered as he pushed himself out of the other's grip. Noticing the confusion in the other's eyes, he sighed. "Thanks...for not letting me fall to my death."

Shadow responded with a simple nod before staring at the nearby bridge, where currently everyone fussed over his disappearance. "It seems as though your adventure is not yet over. You'd best get over there before you miss something important."

The blue Mobian nodded as he spared one last grateful glance towards the other before getting a running start and launching himself off the building and onto the bridge. Everyone cheered at his seemingly dramatic arrival, and he couldn't help but smile at the sight of so many people praising him.

A small puddle shot out of the water and joined them, taking the form of Chaos 0.

"It wasn't destroyed!" Knuckles yelled as he readied his fists. He stopped when several chao emerged from the water and surrounded Chaos, cheering. The creature's eyes squinted happily. "Actually...he doesn't look angry anymore..." The redhead relaxed.

"Yeah, he looks pretty happy!" Tails announced.

Tikal took a step towards Chaos with a small smile. "These were the chao you were protecting. They stayed alive for generations and now live peacefully with these people. The fighting's over, harmony's restored, and life goes on." She looked at Sonic. "Thank you!"

She extended her arms towards Chaos before the two slowly ascended into the sky and disappeared.

Tails looked at Sonic, "All's well, that ends well. Right, Sonic?"

Sonic smiled at his younger brother before pulling him into his chest for a light noogie.

"What do we do now?" Knuckles asked.

Sonic paused, "Wait, what day is it?"

"Monday." Amy answered.

"Are you serious? I could've sworn it was still Sunday!"

Everyone laughed, except for Sonic. Nobody had noticed until it was too late that the evil doctor had run away the first chance he got. Deciding that they all had done enough for the city, they decided that finding the evil ex-teacher should be left to GUN.

After all, they all had a long weekend.

oOo

Sonic strummed his guitar as he hummed along to a song he recently came up with. It was inspired by his final battle with Chaos, the God of Destruction. He placed his palm over the strings to silence their sound as he reflected on the past. That was only one week ago...

He pursed his lips as he set the guitar on the floor and positioned it so it leaned against the couch. Maybe he should go on a run later...the dorm was very lonely lately.

He sighed. Ever since his family returned from their adventure, things had been different. In school, his teachers and peers all treated him as if he were suddenly an idol, and though he enjoyed the attention, it didn't feel right. It seemed to him as if they only cared for him because he saved the world, not because he was an all-around nice guy. The only people he was actually 'friends' with were Rouge, The Chaotix, and Freedom Fighters. Everybody else only talked to him because of how he suddenly grew in popularity. Rumors of him actually being a god spread, but that wasn't true! He had powers of Chaos, but he was still just a Mobian.

A Mobian who was now on GUN's watchlist, so Rouge had warned him.

After he returned, he received many invites from the President, as he completely won over the old man's favor. The Commander, however, made it evident that he disliked the blue teen and didn't trust him one bit. The glares he sent Sonic annoyed him up to the point where he retorted by childishly sticking out his tongue. Somebody had to remind the older man that he was still just a teen and not some weapon of mass destruction.

The girls in his family had been spending more time with Blaze and their own friends. Amy had told stories about her adventure with the robot Gamma during the adventure, though Sonic was completely unaware of the fact that the robot even had a name. She told him that the robot had turned out to be a Flicky like Birdie, only roboticized and brainwashed by the doctor, along with its brother Beta. The three Flickies reunited and resumed their lives, much to her delight. For some reason though, that reminded the blue teen of another situation that had occurred long ago, only he couldn't put his name on it.

Blaze and Silver became even closer to their family than ever after the adventure. Though the two were already close with Sonic, Blaze had begun to see the girls less as friends and more as younger sisters. Silver got along very well with Tails and Amy, enough to call them his closest friends besides the feline and blue hedgehog hybrid.

Knuckles had remembered his past in its whole over the course of the trip. His father, an echidna named Locke, raised him as the next Guardian of the Emerald, destined as its lonely protector. When not interested with the responsibility of his future role, the young boy ran away and eventually forgot about his past. Now, Knuckles accepted who he was and the importance of his duty. He made very frequent visits to Angel Island to check up on the Master Emerald.

Tails spent more time in the storage area than ever, constantly grabbing materials and building things. He especially spent time working on his Tornado, as well as a new design for an aircraft he planned on building from scratch. Sometimes, Sonic would hear building from their bedroom. He was convinced Tails was constructing a lab beneath their dorm. He'd seen the blueprints and the huge hole in their closet was a big giveaway.

Sonic frowned as he thought about what Knuckles said at Sky Sanctuary. How he was so dependent on the kids and that one day they would leave them. It was okay for them to leave him, he told himself. No matter what, he'd be a hero. As long as someone needed him, he was fine...

A knock on his door disrupted his thoughts. It was probably Silver, as the younger hedgehog seemed to get awkward after his dorm became filled of young girls. With a smirk on his face, Sonic got up and opened the door, prepared to invite the white hedgehog to a two-person party as he planned on making chili dogs, only to find the one person he least expected.

Shadow.

The dark hedgehog stood with his arms crossed, his ruby eyes focused on Sonic.

"Uh, hello?" Sonic said as his smirk twitched before faltering.

"May I come in?" He asked with narrowed eyes. Sonic shuffled in his spot awkwardly before moving aside and gesturing for the darker hedgehog to enter.

"Well, what an unexpected surprise!" Sonic commented with a nervous smile as he attempted to lighten the tense mood.

Shadow grunted in response as he observed the dorm, resulting in the blue teen to frown.

"Not to be rude or anything, but why're you here?" He asked while looking around the room with Shadow. "There is literally no one here, but me. No need to look for some escaped convict or runaway chao."

"I wanted to know if you told anyone that I saved you from falling." He said as he faced the younger hybrid.

"Um, no. Was I supposed to? Do you want credit or something cause-"

"No," Shadow shook his head. "Keep it a secret."

"Okie dokie." Sonic bit his lip as he pushed his index fingers together. What else was he supposed to do when the atmosphere was very tense?

He pursed his lips as the darker Mobian stood before him with an intense stare directed at him. "Hey? Is it alright if I ask a question that's been bugging me for some time?" He nodded and the blue hybrid let out a huge sigh. "How did Eggman get your red emerald? It was the first one in Chaos."

Shadow froze for a split second before speaking coolly. "The Doctor, as you know, is a relative of mine. We established a trade."

"A trade? What was more important than the emerald?"

He hesitated, giving the other a once over before deciding he was good enough to know. He pulled a small, folded piece of paper from his sweater pocket and handed it to Sonic.

The younger Mobian unfolded the paper carefully, only for it to be the same one Eggman had shown him when he was a teacher- the one of his Grandfather and cousin. "I don't get it..." he said as he examined the sepia-toned photograph. "Didn't they die 50 years ago? Why would you need this?"

Shadow snatched the picture from his hands and folded it carefully before placing it back in his pocket. "None of your concern." The darker Mobian widened his eyes as he realized the other's confusion. The blue teen wasn't at fault for being curious, after all, he was young...unlike himself. He sighed, "It's...a valuable family possession."

Sonic nodded, cheeks blushing as he noted Shadow's sudden concern for his feelings. "Oh, okay!"

"I have a question for you now."

"I'm all ears."

"Where'd you put the emeralds?"

Sonic shrugged. "I scattered them around, but I'm not exactly sure where they went off to. I figured it would be best if nobody knew where they were. Nobody could abuse their power."

Shadow let out an exasperated sigh, but nodded anyways.

"Oh, wait! That red one was yours, right? I probably should've returned it to you...sorry."

The black hedgehog waved his hand in dismissal. "Doesn't matter, they probably would've scattered on their own if you hadn't. Anyways, if I need it, I'll find it myself."

"How do you know so much about Chaos Energy?" Sonic inquired. "You're like a genius when it comes to this stuff!"

"I do my research." Shadow responded simply.

He frowned, not at all pleased with his answer, but dropped it. "Alright, I'll take it."

"I'd best be off now." The darker teen said as he advanced towards the door.

"W-wait!" Sonic said, instinctively grabbing the other's hand.

Shadow jumped at the touch, not prepared for the sudden action. He glared at the blue teen before growling. "What?"

The blue hybrid blushed. "W-would you like to race with me sometime? You beat me that one time by default! Now that I can go my true speed, it should be a fair match!"

Crimson eyes softened for a moment before becoming cocky. He gently tugged his hand out of the other's grip. "Sure, but this time, I won't go easy on you."

Emerald eyes sparked at the challenge. "Is that arrogance, I'm hearing?" He teased with sudden courage. "I'll let you know that they don't call me the Fastest Thing Alive for nothing!"

Shadow chuckled. "Then how about we settle this score, once and for all?"

"Right now?" The other nodded. "You're on!"

The two immediately dashed out of the house, catching the eye of a suspicious bat, whose aqua eyes twinkled at the sight of Shadow getting along with somebody. She decided that she would confront the dark Mobian about it later...

* * *

 _A/N: And that concludes the Sonic Adventure Arc. Time to go back to school and work our way to the next stage (Exactly what you think it is). Sonic knows now that he's gifted with God-like powers, cool. That's one thing about himself that we now know, but there's so much left to explore. Many questions that can only be answered with time. In the meantime, how about some bonding?_

 _Buuuut, there's some hints to some past memories...Amy thinks of a cell while Sonic thinks of roboticized Flickies...fragments from different points of his life that won't be revealed for a long time. One day it'll all make sense. Hopefully._

 _Well, Sonic and Shadow seem to be a bit friendly with each other. That's good for us._

 _Sonic has a desire to feel needed, which is why he wants to be be depended on. He thinks that if no one needs him then he'll have no purpose. Being a hero should satisfy that desire. Might make matters worse though. Either way, he needs some growing up to do._

 _Shadow is lonely, we all know his story. He finds someone similar to him and that allows him to drop his stoic appearance to become the arrogant Mobian we all know he is. Sonic brings out the real him, too bad he has a mission to complete and can't get too carried away._


	10. Lovesick Sonic

_A/N: Bonding chapter. Awwww._

* * *

 _ **Chapter 10: Lovesick Sonic**_

Sonic sighed as he rested his head on the back of his hand while he stared blankly at the computer screen. Currently, he was stuck in the high school library's computer lab with Silver beside him. His History class was given a few extra days to complete all of their work after the 'Chaos Crisis,' but he had been hoping for an exemption. Luckily his essay for Mr. Stewart was easy, just write about what he saw at the ruins. Well, he saw a lot. He didn't have to be a great writer to make it to 500 words.

He noticed his friend turn in his seat. "You done already?"

"Yeah," his amber eyes directed towards him. "Do you need more help? I can stay longer, if you want."

"Nah, you helped enough as it is. Thank you. I'm just about to wrap things up, but I might stick around to look some stuff up on the internet."

The white haired Mobian nodded. "Sure, maybe I'll see you later if the girls are all at my place again."

Sonic chuckled. "Yeah, Tails and I are looking forward to completing that movie marathon we started, so drop on by whenever. We can't finish it without you."

Tan lips smiled before he gave a small wave to the blue haired Mobian. The older of the two watched as the other gathered his things and left the library, leaving him alone with a bunch of students and staff. He noticed many stares being sent his way, as though he were a celebrity, but he dismissed them by avoiding them and returning his gaze to the computer screen. He typed up the last couple of sentences before saving his work and sending it to his teacher's email.

He leaned back in his chair and wondered if he had anything else to do. He skimmed through a few chapters of his book and the annotation packets for English, so that was done. His science class would be a study hall for the rest of the school year, so he no longer had to worry about homework there or about seeing a certain green asshole. Tails helped him catch up on all his Pre-Algebra during lunch, so that was the end to all the homework he had to do for the time being. He actually achieved total freedom. The same could not be said about Knuckles, though. What with his older brother guarding that Emerald all the time now, he was probably waaay behind on his school work. The redhead would probably try to copy his, and he let out a sigh knowing that he would let him. He was a great younger brother, he hoped the echidna hybrid realized that.

He scoped the library subtly, pretending to be stretching as he looked up from the monitor. Yep, people were definitely still looking at him. He wasn't sure how he felt about the attention. On one hand, he loved it. On the other...it was strange. After being bullied most of his childhood, he wasn't sure if he deserved the fame. A small part of him actually felt guilty about it. There was nothing special about him. Nothing, despite what people seemed to believed. It was his duty to protect people who couldn't protect themselves. He smirked and shook his head, deciding that he should at least enjoy the fame while he had the chance to.

He changed the tab on the computer to view the news about Station Square. There were many articles about him, as well as interviews and videos, but he ignored those to read about how the city and people were faring. Reconstruction was apparently going very well and everything should be the way it was, only improved, within a few weeks time. It was amazing how advanced their technology was to be able to complete such feats.

A tap on his shoulder startled him. He whipped his head around to see a pair of crimson eyes staring at him.

"I'd like to ask you some questions."

"Oh, well okay."

Shadow glared at a couple of nearby Mobians who were watching them curiously, they shied away and left. "In private."

The blue teen chuckled as he turned around and logged off the public computer. "Alright." He stood up and followed Shadow, who eventually led him off school grounds and through a forest at high speeds. It was fun, and he found himself enjoying the alone time with the other.

They stopped at the edge of a cliff, and the younger hybrid felt his mouth drop as he noticed the glimmering twinkle of lights in the distance while the sky's hues of red and orange began to mesh with the blue of the night sky. The blue teen felt a heavy blush creep onto his cheeks as he averted his gaze. Was it just him, or was this oddly romantic?

"Um, is there any reason you brought me to a sunset behind Station Square's skyline?" He asked nervously, hoping that it wasn't evident in his tone.

Shadow shook his head. "I just like to come here. I figured nobody would bother us." The blue teen's lips tightened into a straight line as the blush in his cheeks got deeper. His skin was so fair that it most definitely showed. He looked away when he felt Shadow stare at him. "Are you absolutely sure you have no idea how you were gifted with a tremendous amount of Chaos Energy?"

The serious, demanding tone caught him off guard, and instantly the blush died. He was able to face the other without feeling embarrassed. "Yes, I'm absolutely sure that I have no idea."

"It doesn't make any sense though." Sonic watched the other furrow his brows before giving him a lazy shrug and seating himself along the grass.

"I honestly don't understand anything that's happening, I'm kind of just taking in things as they come along." He plucked a dandelion from the ground and twirled it between his gloved fingers.

"I know the last time we discussed this, you told me that you've never come across a Chaos Emerald before. Is there any chance you did when you were very young and just don't remember?"

"Well, I was dropped off at an orphanage when I was a few days old and trapped there until Knuckles busted me out. I was like seven then. There was no way I would have ever come across an Emerald during that time."

"How about in the short time before?"

Sonic shrugged uncomfortably. "Maybe? Dude, I was a newborn. I can't remember that far..."

The other hedgehog let out a heavy sigh as he rubbed his temple before taking a seat beside the blue teen. "You're not as simple as I once perceived you to be. Your very existence defies everything I thought I knew."

"Is that your way of complimenting me?" The younger Mobian teased.

Shadow shot him an annoyed look before observing the sun set by the city. He enjoyed coming to this cliff. It was so calm, peaceful...beautiful. If only _she_ could've been here with him. She would've loved it.

The blue Mobian watched the other sulk with a pained gleam in his crimson eyes. "Why are you always so serious?" He asked innocently. "Did something happen?"

The other hybrid scowled. "Nothing's happened."

Sonic pouted. "I can tell you're thinking over something you regret." He said calmly. "But really, I tell this to everyone I can: if you keep dwelling on the past, you won't make the future any better."

"You're speaking about things you don't understand. I'm different than you, the past is all I am."

The energetic teen scooted himself closer to the other. "I don't think so!" He grinned. "I'm sure if you tried, you could push the past behind you and start over."

"What makes you so sure that it's that easy? That's it even possible?" The darker Mobian snapped.

Sonic stared at the other. "I know it's not easy, but it's also not impossible." He let out a heavy sigh. "Listen, I've done it before. I've...gone down a rough road myself, but I moved away from it. If I stayed the way I was before, well, let's just say that I'd still be afraid of my own shadow...I'm sure you can overcome whatever you went through."

Shadow narrowed his eyes and averted his gaze. The blue Mobian bit the inside of his cheek as he worried that he upset the other.

"Just...at least try. Okay? I'm...here for you, if ya' need anybody." He stared intensely at the unmoving hedgehog while the tension between them lingered. "Hey," he said softly. "Don't be sad anymore. Smile." A grin appeared on his face. "If you don't smile, that'll make me the fastest person alive by default."

A barely visible smirk appeared on the darker hedgehog's face as he let out a low chuckle. "How the hell does me not smiling make you the fastest person? It seems to me you're afraid to have a rematch because you know I'll win."

"It makes sense because last time we raced we agreed it was a draw, and I'll recant if you don't."

"I only went through with that agreement so I wouldn't have to hear you whine about it."

"Oh, yeah? Is that so? I guess we'll have to have a rematch for our rematch."

"I suppose so."

oOo

Sonic entered the dorm with a warm feeling bubbling in his chest. He spent a good time racing Shadow, which was exciting. He loved running, was the only person he ever met who could actually keep up with him, was smart, obviously cared for him, wasn't controlling...and one of the few people he felt an attraction to.

"What's up with that face?" Amy teased from the couch. "You look like you're drunk!"

"Huh? I'm not making any face..."

The girl giggled, but patted the seat beside her. "Join me. Nobody else is home."

Sonic sat next to her. "Really? Where are the kids?"

"Tails went to work on his planes and the girls fell asleep upstairs. Blaze told me it was alright if they stayed the night. Now-" She shifted her position so that she faced Sonic comfortably. "Tell me what's got you so lovestruck!"

"I'm not lovestruck!" The blue teen argued.

"Yeah, right!" She squealed and waved her arms excitedly. "Who's the lucky girl? Boy? Is it me? Have you finally given in to your undying love for me?"

Sonic chuckled. "Let's clear this up first: I'm _not_ lovestruck, but I will admit that I'm attracted to someone. A guy."

Amy, though slightly disappointed, instantly cheered up. "Really? Does his name begin with an 'S?'"

The blue teen raised a brow as an embarrassed blush filled his cheeks. "Is it that obvious?"

"Just an intuition!" She eased the boy. "So, are you gonna tell me his name or are ya gonna leave me guessing!"

He faced Amy and brought his knees to his chest, wrapping his arms around them and resting his chin on top. "Well...when I think about it, he's actually really handsome..."

"Sonic, just tell me!"

He sighed. "It's Shadow. I've liked him for a while, but...I've only just admitted it to myself."

The pink hybrid sucked in a breath and froze in place. That wasn't...expected. She thought that he had a crush on...No! This wasn't what she wanted! She didn't even like Shadow! The only time she ever really saw him was when he dragged Sonic out of the cafeteria. Why _him_?

The older Mobian frowned. "Ames? You okay? You look kind of...mad."

She frantically shook her head. "N-No way! Just tell me about this Shadow guy. What made you have a crush on him?"

He gave her a small smile. "I don't really know where to begin..." He squeezed his legs. "He's just so...perfect, I guess? He likes running just like me and he's not overbearing and sometimes he does things that really imply that he cares about my feelings...He's got a soft side and I think I'm one of the very few he's trusted enough to see it..."

"Really?" She asked with a tilt to her head. "What has he done?"

"He's helped me a lot- not that I needed it, of course!" He quickly explained. "But it's nice, knowing that he's watching my back."

"Details?" Amy probed, getting slightly excited. Maybe there was another side to this Shadow than previously thought.

"Um, well, I'm not sure if I ever told you this, but when I went to the Lounge with Scourge, I got...a bit drunk." He purposely left out important details she didn't need to know.

Her eyes widened. "You never told me about that! But, I suppose it doesn't matter anymore...continue."

"But Shadow came and took me to his place. He even let me stay until I felt better."

"Awww, that was very considerate of him."

"Yeah, it was pretty cool of him to do that." Sonic smiled before becoming dejected. "I wish I knew how to hang out with him more."

"That's easy," Amy said with a shrug.

"How?"

The pink Mobian hesitated. If she told Sonic, would it betray the white hedgehog she knew? But the other wasn't even aware of his feelings yet and he constantly dismissed them whenever they came up. However, Sonic really did seem happy about this Shadow guy...she sighed heavily. "Ask him out!"

"Ames, I can't just walk up to people and ask them out..."

She rolled her eyes. "Of course you can. That's how relationships start in the first place!"

"Really?"

"But I'd recommend spending a little more time with him first. Like, invite him to sit at our table tomorrow. Rouge already does, so why can't he?"

Sonic nodded. "That's a great idea! Then you guys can get to know each other better!"

The preteen laughed. "Yup. Now, how about we kill some time and watch TV?"

The elder of the two immediately stretched his arms and legs enthusiastically. "Alright!"

oOo

Hey, Shadow!" Sonic called out the next morning when he noticed the darker Mobian walking towards the cafeteria. Rouge had been beside him, eyeing Knuckles with predatory glint in her aqua eyes. The other scowled as the blue hedgehog ran towards him with a large group in tow. He wasn't one for socializing.

"Would you sit with me?" Sonic asked hopefully, with pink tinting his cheeks.

Shadow glared into the other's bright green eyes. "Isn't your table already full?" He nodded his head towards Sonic's family, Silver, Blaze, and the Chaotix. "I'm not particularly fond of crowds."

"I'm not forcing you to talk to them," He paused. "I'm asking you to sit with me."

The darker Mobian sighed, glancing at Rouge who had weaved her way to the echidna's side. She sent him a smile and nodded once. "Might as well." He avoided the curious stares the group gave him as they passed by slowly to enter the building.

"Awesome!" Sonic clasped his hands in joy before realizing Shadow's raised brow. He quickly retracted his hands and hid them behind his back, giving the other a nervous, cheeky smile. "I got a bit carried away."

"I can see that." Crimson eyes flickered to the entrance. "Are we going to follow?"

"Duh!" Sonic winked at the other. Shadow shook his head and let out a small sigh, but followed the other inside and watched as the blue teen got his meal.

"Aren't you gonna eat?" The younger hybrid asked, noticing that the other was empty handed.

"No."

"...Oh. Well, if you want a little bit, I'll share my food with you?"

"I'm sure I'll be fine, but thanks."

He frowned, but led the other to his table. As he arrived, he blinked in surprise before his brows furrowed together. "What is this?" He nodded towards the messed up table as his hands were occupied. "Do you not see the kids practically eating off their laps? Cheese can't even find a place to sit! Knuckles, get your crap out of their space!"

Everyone at the table stared at the blue hybrid, confused on how they were supposed to bring order to their disorganized table. Sonic groaned aloud, annoyed that he had to be the one to fix everything in front of Shadow. "How about on that side, we can have it be..." He observed the table and quickly calculated an arrangement that would hopefully satisfy everyone. "Rouge, Knuckles, Silver, Blaze, Cream, Charmy. Then my side can be Vector, Espio, Shadow, Me, Tails, Cosmo, Amy." He watched as everyone shuffled around the table and slid their trays to their new spots. Sonic and Shadow squeezed their way into their seats while the former beamed. He had this under control.

Shadow noticed the stares directed his way and glared at anyone who's eyes lingered on him for too long.

"Are you wearing eye shadow?" Knuckles asked rudely, staring at the red around his eyes.

The darker Mobian's eye twitched. "No, you idiot. It's genetic."

"Hey! I'm not an idiot!"

"Knuckles, can you not be rude? Please?" Sonic rolled his eyes while resting his head on the back of his hand.

"Hey, it was just a question!"

"A _rude_ question."

Rouge poked Knuckles' arm to redirect his attention towards her. She knew Shadow better than anybody, and she knew that he wasn't one to be trifled with. The echidna hybrid looked at her with a raised brow, and she smiled, instantly teasing him so that he wouldn't start any trouble with her roommate. His hot-headed nature could get him into a lot of trouble with someone as serious as Shadow.

Sonic watched the transaction between the two and felt his chest tighten. Maybe he would ask Rouge later for advice on Shadow...after all, the two seemed really close as friends.

"Sonic?" Tails poked his arm, resulting in him to snap out of his daze and look at him. "Amy wants to tell you something."

He nodded and the blond returned to his conversation with the other kids. He leaned back in his seat and looked over at Amy, who was mouthing to him. He squinted his eyes as he observed her lips move slowly. ' _Talk to him_!' She silently gestured to the hedgehog beside him. He sent her a thumbs up before turning his attention to Shadow.

"So, Shadow, what's up?" He began casually.

"I'm sitting at your table." The darker Mobian replied coolly, though Sonic could hear the displeasure dripping in his tone.

"You should socialize with the others too! Espio is cool, have you tried talking to him?"

Shadow merely glanced at the purple chameleon who glanced back, they stared at each other for a few seconds before breaking contact. Neither had any interest in the other.

The blue teen sent him an uneasy glance as he pouted, then looked around his table. "How about Silver? Hey, Silver!" He faced the white hedgehog and was surprised by the sight before him. The other Mobian was pulling off the same attitude he hadn't seen since the first day of school. His amber eyes bore arrows into the darker hedgehog, and the scowl on his face was evident that he disliked the other. He was taken aback by the display. "What's wrong?"

Silver glared at Shadow for a few more seconds before facing him. "Nothing. Nothing is wrong, Sonic." He said in a monotone. The blue teen let out a low exhale and rubbed his temple. This was gonna be rough. Nobody seemed interested in getting along with his crush.

"So!" He began with a light clap. "Shadow, what classes do you have?"

The darker Mobian raised a brow. "I have mostly sophomore and a few junior classes."

"Oooh! Like what?"

"Calculus...Chemistry..." He shrugged.

"So, assuming I had proper education as a kid or was really smart, I'd be taking classes with you, right?" Sonic asked. "We could've been partners!" He felt a hard kick from under the table. He cursed in pain and glowered at Silver. "Um, ow?"

"Sorry," the white-haired hybrid said with a frown. Damn, he wanted to kick Shadow. What a jerk! Stealing all of Sonic's attention...he had some things he wanted to talk to him about! At least he would hold a real conversation! He was so much better than this...weirdo. He stared at his untouched food, unsure of the horrible feeling pooling in his gut.

Sonic's face softened. "It's okay, Silv. Just...aim somewhere else."

 _I plan to_ , Silver thought as he shot Shadow one last cold glare.

The darker hedgehog noticed this and glared back with a disgruntled expression. How dare that kid act like he was greater than him? He would make it a personal goal to piss him off. Noticing Silver's complete change in attitude when talking to Sonic, he figured…

The blue hybrid's left hand was resting on the table, completely alone and relaxed. Fortunately, it was also in plain sight. Shadow smirked and rested his hand on top of it, noticing how Sonic whipped his head around to face him with a shocked look on his face. He watched as Silver's mouth dropped in horror and felt a wave of satisfaction settle within. The blue teen gaped for a few seconds as he tried to grasp what was happening, but then began to blush profusely when reality settled in. The dark-haired Mobian glanced at him cockily before entwining their fingers together. They've done it before at the other's request, so he supposed he wouldn't mind if he took the initiative. Sonic merely tensed up in response and stared at their hands.

Not only was Silver completely aghast, but so was the rest of the table. Well, at least the older kids who were capable of understanding what was happening.

They were all shocked by the idea that something was going on between the two.

oOo

After classes, Sonic walked to the middle school to pick Amy up. Blaze had gotten the younger girls and chao so they could all hang out later, and he told her ahead of time that he would get the preteen.

"So, you noticed what Shadow did during breakfast, right?" He asked curiously. "What would you make of it?"

Amy nodded as she held her math book close to her chest. She turned and stared right into emerald eyes. "It was really cute, actually. For a second, I thought you two were seriously going out!" She giggled. "You should ask him if he likes you, then ask him out on a date if he says yes."

"...Really? _Already_?"

The pink Mobian rolled her eyes. "Sonic, people these days just randomly ask someone they've never met before on dates. If it works, they continue. If not, they just don't do it anymore. You don't know whether or not you'll work out, so dates are like small experiments. It's not like you're asking him to be your boyfriend or anything."

Sonic stuck out his tongue. "Whatever. I'll ask him on a date."

"Speaking of dates, you missed ours!" Amy scolded with exasperation.

" _When_?"

"The other day! You promised me that we'd go to the shopping district, but you fell asleep!"

"I thought we agreed that I got sent to a dimension of Arthurian Legend and had to fight the Dark Queen."

"We didn't agree on anything! You liar, you were asleep and you know it!"

"Amy, I'm totally serious right now. I am King Arthur."

She huffed. "If you're talking about in those stories you tell us, yeah sure."

"This time it wasn't just a dream, though! I was actually sent there and it was really weird because everything was kinda different from my dreams? Like, I actually got to go on a cool adventure instead of those small, silly ones. It was like an alternate universe from the one I tell you guys about!"

"Whatever."

"You know, the outfits we all wore were really cool. We should do that for Halloween."

"King Arthur?" The pink Mobian raised a brow. "Where would we get the armor and fancy clothing?"

"Amy, please." He waved his hand. "I am an idol, this whole past week I've been getting letters and crap from companies asking me to advertise their stuff. I've got some costume stores that want me to get their place popular for the holiday."

"So, am I still Nimue?"

"Of course."

oOo

"-But man, who'd have thought I was the _real_ King Arthur?" Sonic asked as he finished his story for the night.

"You're not!" Amy huffed, still aggravated over the fact her older brother neglected to take her out shopping.

"Am too!"

"Not!"

"Guys!" Tails interjected. "I think we can agree that it was an amazing story. I really liked the part where you became Excalibur Sonic!"

"Right?" The blue teen cheered. "It was the coolest thing ever, except for when I became Super. But like, the power was really similar? Like, I could fly and I was wearing gold. Either way, it was pretty exciting."

"That outfit sounds so pretty!" Cream said from beside her older brother.

Cosmo nodded. "They all do. I feel Amy should be Nimue for Halloween; the dress sounded very beautiful."

"See, that's the thing," the preteen began. "We were planning on being the people from Sonic's King Arthur stories. It would be so cool!"

"Definitely not just stories anymore."

"Quiet, you!"

"That sounds so fun!" Cream exclaimed.

The Seedrian tilted her head, "Yes, but who would Cream and I be? We usually aren't in your knight stories, so I suppose we'd have to find a character ourselves?"

"You two can be King Arthur's little sisters." Sonic responded.

"Did King Arthur even have little sisters?" The rabbit hybrid asked, tilting her head.

He smiled at her. "Well, now he does."

Tails chuckled. "He had three sisters, but I don't think you should be them. They don't get happily ever afters..."

"Well, on Halloween, you two shall be my younger sisters, Princess Cream and Cosmo with their chao, Cheese." He gestured to the small chao sleeping next to his Mobian partner.

"So, does that mean Knuckles, Silver and Blaze are gonna join? You mentioned them in your story. What about Shadow and Rouge, even though she wasn't included?"

"What I wanna know is who was Sir Lamorak?" Amy added.

"This guy named Jet in my History class. I was confused, cause like, we never talk and he sits by Knuckles. It was really weird seeing him there."

"And what about Shadow? Are you two friends now?" Cream asked innocently.

"Um...Yeah, I guess you could say that! I'll ask him and Rouge if they want to join us."

"Who is this Shadow, anyways?" Cosmo inquired with curious blue eyes. "He seems rather intimidating, especially with the glares he gave everyone."

Sonic frowned. "I think..." He began as the six-year-old crawled between his legs and sat criss-crossed, with him playing idly with her short, dirty blonde hair. "I think he just needs a friend."

The pink Mobian across from him snickered. "Yeah, and plus the fact that you have the biggest crush on him ever!"

"Amy, that's not true!" He glared at her, though he had a slight blush in his cheeks.

"Oh, so that's why you invited him to sit with us?" Tails exclaimed with sudden realization.

"That's so cute!" Cream chirped. "Will you two get married? Can I be your flower girl?"

"C-Cream," Her older brother whined as he wrapped his arms around her waist and hid his head in her hair. "I'm way too young for marriage! Besides, I don't even know for sure if he likes me, even as a friend."

"Who doesn't like you?" Cosmo's eyes widened as the idea seem unfathomable to her.

"Yeah! Besides, he held your hand! That obviously means he likes you!" Amy squealed as both her hands clasped her cheeks. "Oh! You two are so cute!"

Sonic felt his lip curl down. "I don't know...maybe he did that for another reason?"

"What reason would he have?" The fox hybrid asked.

"I...don't know. I'm not really experienced in dating to know..." He admitted with a shrug.

"He _likes_ you!" The pink preteen encouraged him. "Go for it! Ask him out!"

"Amy, how the hell would you know this? You've never even been on a date with anybody else, but me."

"Meanie!" She stuck her tongue out at him. "I've analyzed many books and movies, I know my stuff."

The eldest sighed. "Next time I'm alone with him, I'll ask him out. Just...don't tell anybody what you know."

The kids all smiled triumphantly while nodding.

Maybe for once, Sonic would get the happily ever after he deserved.

oOo

Rouge sat in her chair in the living room of her joint dorm with Shadow, contemplating the other Mobian. How did she managed to land herself this job? It all started off as a simple mission.

Look for any suspicious behavior on the school's grounds.

Originally she felt unsure about the idea of spying on her own species, but the reward of gems immediately made her forget her betrayal.

She was a woman who pursued her own desires. In the real world, one had to be ambitious to be rewarded.

Besides, what fun was being a hero if she had to be good all the time? No, working for herself was much more satisfying. Which was exactly why GUN had hired her. She was one filled with potential, and could do the job right.

She was a professional, despite her lack in training. Everything she knew was learned from personal experience.

Which brought her to her current issue: Shadow. The guy worried her at times, but sometimes, she could feel herself getting close to her roommate. She cared for him as a friend, yet at the same time they could be strangers. She hoped the barrier between the two would break, but so far, only one conclusion had come to mind.

Sonic.

She had watched the two from afar, and she could see the two slowly becoming close. Around the kid, Shadow seemed to lose his business-like attitude and became different. He became slightly more cocky, yet playful. Though the change was subtle, she with her quick, calculating eyes was able to pick up on it. She felt that only Blue could change Shadow for the better.

She rubbed her temple as she thought of her situation. Shadow. Shadow. _Shadow_. He had been working for Robotnik, the two were related, but his Chaos Energy was much like Sonic's, only with greater control. He had mastered the ability to hide under GUN's radar. The military didn't even know she was onto a big lead, what with the dark hedgehog's mysterious sudden appearance and how he managed to cause so much, yet so little attention at once. The feeling in her gut knew that he was related to the ARK incident 50 years ago as well as the break in on Prison Island many months ago, but _how_? He was an extremely powerful individual gifted with immortality, but _why_? This had been her old mission before being sidetracked and ordered to keep an eye on the two brothers next door, but she knew that if she didn't solve this soon, something bad would happen.

She would be willing to do _anything_ to seek the truth.

The destruction of the world couldn't be risked, she smiled. After all, if the world went, its treasures would too, right?

And by treasures, she didn't strictly mean gems.

She let out a heavy sigh as she processed her thoughts and theories on Shadow. She had a feeling that he still held connections to the hidden doctor. She always knew her old science teacher was crazy. She would have to contact GUN later and tell them to disregard any upcoming actions, as she was planning to become a double agent after finding Eggman. The Commander always trusted her word.

"What's wrong?" Shadow asked after suddenly appearing.

"Nothing," she lied easily.

He narrowed his eyes in doubt, but nodded anyways. He wasn't sure if he could trust her.

"So, how's your relationship with Blue going? That act you pulled had me wondering..."

"That was nothing. I was trying to piss off that other kid."

Rouge chuckled, she was very well aware that Silver harbored feelings for the blue hero. It seemed that everyone besides the two involved could see it. "Jealousy, I see. But don't tell me you don't like him a little bit?"

Shadow hesitated for a moment before glaring at her. "He's a good rival."

"Just a rival? My, my. And here I figured you were showing signs of liking him, since he's head over heels for you."

"W...what?"

"Yeah, it's obvious he likes you. But look at you, playing with his feelings, you heartbreaker." She teased.

The darker Mobian scowled. "That doesn't concern me. He can get over it."

Her eyes widened. "Oh, the bad boy act? That'll only make him fall for you harder. It always does."

He growled. "What do you suppose I do about it?"

"If he has the courage to ask you out, accept it."

"So play along? How pointless."

The bat hybrid sighed. "Shadow, this is the boy that beat a _god_. We hardly know what he is or why he of all people was chosen to hold such power. Not just that, but this boy has an interest in _you_. If I were in your position, I'd use that to get answers out of him."

Shadow contemplated the idea for a moment before nodding. "Alright, I'll do it." He sent her a warning glance. "But let it be known that I'm doing this for my own needs, no one else's. Am I clear?"

She stifled a giggle. "Of course!"

He left the living room and headed outside, leaving her alone once again. Her lips curled into a smirk.

Well, hopefully that would speed up her mission a little bit.

oOo

The next evening, Sonic made it a goal to find the darker Mobian. This was it, he would finally ask the other out. He was confident, yet nervous. He managed to search all of school grounds and parts of the reconstructing Station Square. It looked like Twinkle Park would be open by the weekend...if Shadow accepted, perhaps they could have their first date there.

It was nighttime when the blue teen had decided to give up for the day. He walked past the quad towards the elevators that brought him to the underground dorms. The cool night breeze made him shiver as he let out a heavy sigh of disappointment. Damn, he had been so pumped too...

He reached his home feeling dejected. The day had been wasted, and all the time he had been looking for Shadow could've been used to read more chapters of his boring book for English. Ha, no way! He instantly cheered up and felt confident that if not today, then tomorrow. He prepared to turn his door handle until he heard his neighbor's door open.

There was Shadow, leaving his dorm with hands jammed into his pockets.

He couldn't contain the excitement that filled him. "Shadow!" He called as the other descended on the iron steps to the ground level. The other looked up with a mixture of subtle surprise and glare.

"Yes," He replied while he stopped moving, as the younger hybrid had already made his way towards him.

"I didn't see you all day! I was wondering where you went."

"That's none of your concern." He scoffed while avoiding eye contact.

"Shadow," Sonic whined. "Don't be such a grouch, Knuckles does that enough as it is."

He glanced at the blue teen and let out a small sigh as he saw the small pout on the other's face. "If you really must know, I was in the middle of a meeting."

"Really?" Emerald eyes widened. "With who?"

"I'd rather not say."

It was Sonic's turn to sigh. "Alright, I already made you talk once. I'll drop it."

"Did you not call my name? Do you have something you need to tell me?" Shadow inquired with narrowed eyes as he crossed his arms.

"Oh! Yeah, I was wondering..." His face became flustered as he subconsciously twiddled his thumbs. "Would you...er-"

"Would I what?"

"Go...on a date...with me?" He muttered between breaths while looking out of the corner of his eyes. It was too embarrassing and awkward to look at handsome hybrid before him.

"Pardon?" The darker Mobian said with a raised brow, not sure if he heard correctly.

The blue Mobian sucked in a breath while facing the other. "You. Go out. With me. On a date."

Crimson irises stared intensely at the blue Mobian blankly while he was in deep thought. The silence unnerved the younger, resulting in him shuffling in his spot as he waited for an answer. The other hedgehog recalled his conversation with Rouge the night before.

"Very well then."

The young teen was taken aback by the reply. "W-what? You're serious?"

Shadow nodded once and emerald eyes grew wide with bliss while their owner clapped his hands in joy and brought them to his chest. "Awesome! How about this weekend? Saturday?"

"Sure."

"I'm thinking Twinkle Park. Is that okay with you?"

"I don't care."

"Twinkle park it is then!" The young hybrid pushed a strand of his cobalt hair out of his face as he shot a glance at his home. "I should get going, but I'll see you around, 'kay?"

Shadow watched as the other sent him a wink and small wave before half-jogging to his dorm. He chuckled, before suddenly stopping himself. No, this wasn't in his nature...he had a mission to complete. A promise to fulfill. He couldn't let himself get close to the blue teen. He was using him, that was all. He walked away from the dorms to collect his thoughts.

* * *

 _A/N: I've never hated Amy, I've actually always found her adorable. When I was little I used to ship Sonamy, but when I got to be the age of 11/12 I realized "WOAH" that's not love. That's infatuation. Then I guess I just fell out of it and was kinda like "Sonic is ace" and started shipping Sonadow for fun. I dunno, I like their relationship, I feel it's very unique. There's a level of understanding between them that no one else can come intrude upon. I've been listening to Shadow's theme during End of the World in Sonic 06 a lot, and it's actually very emotional with it's female vocals (Which I'm pretty sure it's just him and Amy that have those, soooo). All in all, even though they will never be canon, they definitely have a strong bond between them so that they will always have each other's back._

 _I figured that Amy would be the best person for Sonic to go to when he's trying to get closer to Shadow. She's definitely a romantic, and I feel as though she would be a great confidant for him as he tries to sort out his feelings. They definitely have a close bond in this story, after all, he saved and took her in when she was 8. Since it was just him raising her, he had to adjust to taking care of a little girl instead of being surrounded by boys. They've had A LOT of adventures together (Like him trying to help her as she went through puberty lol). He's always been there for her and in turn, she's there for him whenever he needs to talk to someone. Tails is a little boy, and Knuckles is a definite NO, but Amy? She's good at what she does._

 _Contrasting Sonic and Amy, we got Shadow and Rouge. They have an unsteady relationship, but that's because of the situation they're in. Our favorite bat is spying on him, so she needs to be weary of him, but she can't help but grow close to him. She's constantly moving back and forth between perceiving him as part of her mission, and as her closest friend. When you live with someone, you start to get used to them. It's part of the mere-exposure effect. Shadow also has this effect going on with Rouge. He's her roommate, and acts distrustful towards her, yet notice how he goes through with her advice and takes her words into consideration. He won't admit it, but she's grown on him. At the end of the day, they're two lone wolves who are beginning to realize that it's okay to let people into their lives._

 _On a side note, next chapter is Halloween, so there's a special going on :)_


	11. Sonic's Scream Test

_Holiday special time. Whoops. I'm very well aware that October is many months away, but in the timeline of this story, it's Halloween. So enjoy this wonderful festivity in the month of March while we pretend for just a little bit ;)_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 11: Sonic's Scream Test**_

As planned, Sonic's first date with Shadow was at Twinkle Park, where they had spent the entire day together going on all the rides. The blue Mobian was really proud of the progress he was making with the other. Though Shadow wasn't one for contact, there were some instances where he allowed him to hold his hand. After all, it was a cute couples get in free day, and he was more than happy to pretend he and the darker teen were actually together.

Most of the family knew of his date and the younger kids all huddled around him on his return home. They asked him for details, which made him flustered as he talked sheepishly about his day and all the activities the two did together.

The only person who remained oblivious to Sonic's crush was Knuckles, and he didn't plan on telling him. If he didn't want to stay home long enough to keep up with the news, then that sounded like a personal problem. He was very annoyed that the redhead had been distancing himself from the family, spending more time with an _inanimate_ object than them. Well, if he loved it so much, then he should just marry it.

Halloween was coming up and blue Mobian had asked Shadow and Rouge if they would join him and the gang. Though the former was hesitant, the bat hybrid enthusiastically agreed for the both of them. Sonic had given everyone a part, except Rouge, who suggested she be Ragnelle, whoever that was. After that, he busied himself with finding the perfect costume store known for their realistic designs and asked them to create his. They eagerly accepted, free of charge, which was perfect because that's what he had been hoping for.

In the meantime, he had gone on a few more small dates with Shadow, often holding the other's hand and suggesting they share drinks and go on runs together. The darker Mobian often agreed, actually surprised at himself for finding idle things so...heartwarming. The last time he ever felt this way had been...he dared not to compare the two situations. He still kept his distance, after all, he couldn't let himself be too distracted from his mission.

oOo

"So, check this out!" Sonic told his friends, excluding the Chaotix who had their own plans for Halloween. "I got party invites from the President, so I suggest we go to that and later look for someplace haunted to explore!"

"Okay, but which haunted place? There's many from what I can tell." Silver asked with an uneasy smile.

"Not Pumpkin Hill!" Amy scowled. "That place looks so boring! There's nothing there, but mountains and trains!"

"There's Hang Castle and its Mystic Manor. However, I've heard nobody's been able to even reach the inside." Blaze suggested.

"Nah, maybe some other time. I feel like we'd spend more time trying to get inside rather than actually doing something fun." Knuckles dismissed the idea.

"Well, from what I gather, there's an abandoned castle in the middle of a lake not too far." Rouge shrugged. "Rumor says the castle rests on an ancient burial ground, and that a man built the castle there. When he heard about the legend about ghosts living there, he laughed and dismissed the idea, claiming that it was nonsense. He disappeared on his first night there and was never heard from again."

"Oooh!" Sonic said with peaking interest. "An abandoned castle? That would fit with our costumes! We should totally stay the night!"

Everyone agreed on the castle Rouge suggested.

Cream tugged Blaze's sleeve. "You'll be with Cosmo, Cheese and I the whole time right? And protect us?"

The feline hybrid smiled softly. "Of course I will, Cream."

"Good! And we'll protect you too!" Blaze chuckled in response.

"So, I guess that settles that!" Sonic began. "Tomorrow in the afternoon we show off our costumes and then head for the castle to spend the night. I recommend bringing clothes in a bag, but maybe that's just me because I really don't want to wear armor when I sleep."

"Sooonic, stop." Tails playfully scolded.

The blue hybrid chuckled. "Sorry!" He rubbed the back of his neck. "But I'm so excited! The costumes look amazing!" He faced the kids, "Just like in the story!"

Shadow watched from beside Sonic as the conversation took place, ignoring the constant glares from Silver and Knuckles. He noticed that the kids greeted him with friendly smiles, though he had no clue why. Perhaps the other hedgehog hybrid had to do with it.

However, he was unsure of how he felt about Halloween.

oOo

The next day, everyone prepared for the Halloween party at the White House after school. They all crowded into Sonic's dorm and helped each other piece together their outfits.

"Amy, you look so pretty in your dress!" Cream complimented as Amy twirled in her light blue dress. The girls were all changing in the girl's room as the boy's changed in their room.

"Thanks, Cream! You and Cosmo look so adorable!" She gestured towards their dresses with long sleeves and intricate designs. Cosmo's dress was modeled after her everyday attire, it was a velvety, forest green that held the design of vines along the front and sleeves with small prints of pink roses. Cream's velvet, orange dress held a fancy white collar and gold linings along the waistline. They were simple medieval dresses, but looked lovely on the two girls.

Blaze observed her reflection in the closet mirror with her hand on her sword.

"You look so brave in that armor, Blaze!" Amy watched as the feline practiced waving her sword.

She smiled at the compliment. "Thank you. I enjoy it very much."

Rouge was already dressed and instead focused on her makeup, after all, if she was to be Gawain's wife, she would make that echidna flustered...

Meanwhile, in the boy's room, Sonic needed help changing, especially as there was trouble fitting his tail into a small gap. With his golden armor and red cape, he felt like he was reliving his adventure (no matter what Amy said, he _knew_ it happened). Well, with the exception of a talking sword. Back in his world, he continued to struggle trying to fit into the hole. He was too busy concentrating on his dilemma that he completely forgot Shadow was in the room with him.

"Hey, can one of you guys help me?" He said with his back towards the mirror as he stared at his reflection. "My tail is being stupid."

"No way!" Knuckles responded as he examined his swords.

"Tails," Sonic whined. "You're ready, please help."

Tails chuckled. "Sorry, but I have to check on the girls."

He groaned. "You don't have too!"

"Yeah, but Cream really wanted me to check their dresses. I suppose I should knock and see if they're ready." He left before his older brother could reply.

That sly fox.

"Hey, guys, I'm serious. Help."

"I'll help you, Sonic. Let me just finish getting my armor on." Silver offered.

"Or I'll just help you now," Shadow stated while advancing towards Sonic. The blue hybrid turned around and waited for the darker Mobian to help him out. He felt the other grab his tail and try lining it up with the whole.

"Ow!" Sonic winced when he felt it scrape against the armor.

"Sorry," Shadow apologized sincerely, surprising all the others in the room.

He felt a lopsided smile curve his lips and blushed slightly. "It's fine." He couldn't help but enjoy the small moments when Shadow revealed his soft side. It also flattered him that the other rarely did it with anyone else but him- he wasn't sure if the other even realized that yet.

"There, fixed." The darker Mobian said as he backed away. He watched the tail twitch with caution. "How does it feel?"

"It feels fine. Thanks, Shadow!" Sonic said with a gentle smile. Shadow merely stared at him softly for a few long seconds before nodding and walking away. The blue Mobian looked at Silver, who was now finished and fuming with his arms crossed. "Wow, it covers your chest hair? So detailed. Looking great, Silv!" He said with a wink before putting on his boots. He was almost done getting ready, with the exception of his helmet. He hadn't noticed the red blush that appeared on the other Mobian's tan face as he stammered a 'thanks.'

After getting ready, the guys met the girls and Tails in the living room when they finished dressing up.

"Wait, Shadow!" Sonic exclaimed as he caught up to the other. "You forgot to put your helmet on." The darker hybrid looked at the golden armored hedgehog and then stared at the helmet being presented to him.

"Thank you." He said as he picked it up and placed it on his head.

"Get a room you two!" Knuckles rolled his eyes as he fixed his helmet. It was so weird how his dreads weren't supposed to be tucked in. But hey, it was easier to put on. Unlike Sonic's, where practically every inch of him was covered in gold. That's what he got for making himself a king. Oh well, at least he had two cool swords.

"Oh, Knuckles. Like you should even talk!" His younger brother retorted with a smirk on his face.

"What the hell are you talking ab-"

"Did you really not notice me after all this time? Seriously? After all the effort I put into looking this good?" Rouge scowled as she crossed her arms. "I'm supposed to be your wife, but I think I'd like to consider getting a divorce!"

Knuckles blushed as he watched the her walk away with her figure fitting, flowy dress trailing behind. "W-wait! Rouge!"

Sonic chuckled as he watched the echidna trail after his fuming crush. He flapped his visor up so he could get a whiff of cool air. Man, it was hot in there!

"So, wait!" He heard Amy say as she moved around frantically, shoving clothing into a duffel bag. "I have all the everyone's clothes and PJs in here, is there anything else I'm missing?"

"Snacks, shoes, hygienic supplies, flashlights?" Cosmo listed.

"Right! Come with me Cosmo and list anything else you might find necessary!"

"Is that comfortable?" Shadow asked Sonic, gesturing to the armor.

"Yeah, actually. They made it flexible." He proved his point by waving his free arm.

"It looks heavy."

"I've worn heavier." He responded, thinking back to when he was transported to that other world (He'll never let it go). "Nah, it's made out of some lightweight material. Why? Is yours heavy?"

"No," Shadow shook his head as he put on his helmet.

"Sonic!" The white-haired hybrid called as he walked towards the other. "Your gauntlets and helmet look really nice. The rubies and designs suit it well."

"Aw, thanks Silver! Your outfit looks awesome too! I like how they kept the cool symbols on your hands."

Silver smiled sheepishly and scratched his flushing cheek. "T-thanks."

"No problem!"

oOo

They arrived at the president's party in Tails' newest plane, and entered the White House as special guests. Despite the nagging in his brain telling him that his fame was only temporary, he absolutely enjoyed it. After being a nobody for so long, it was nice to be treated as a _somebody_. He couldn't help that he loved having attention on him.

They gang separated into its own ways with Sonic often conversing with the President and getting random compliments on his golden suit.

"Sonic, may we interview you? I come from an entertainment magazine that wants the scoop." An Overlander journalist asked.

He nodded, "Sure!"

"Well, as you know, you are a well known idol now to people of all ages. You're even getting letters from companies asking you to promote their merchandise."

"Um, yeah. I do."

"Well, several teenagers have submitted questions. First one first, what do you look for in a person?"

His emerald eyes widened in realization. "Oh, so you're those teen girl magazines? The one my little sister likes?" The lady chuckled as she nodded. He smirked, "Me? I look for really independent people who don't fuss over me every ten minutes. Like, as long as they let me run to my heart's content and don't restrict my lifestyle, I'm all game!"

"Nice! Next question, what is your relationship with Knuckles?"

"Oh, great. _This_ question. Well, we're just brothers. That's all. I know 100 percent he's into Rouge."

"That'll definitely get the fans going crazy," She scribbled in her notebook. "I think this is the last question, but are you currently seeing anyone?"

He blushed. "Well, yeah...kind of. We're not actually going out, but we've had a few nice dates."

"Oh!" Her eyes widened in surprise. "Who is this person? Details? Have you kissed yet?"

He hesitated. "Well, it's a _he_." He watched as the girl wrote everything down. "And I dunno, he's just so..." He averted his gaze as a light blush spread across his cheeks. "But no, we haven't kissed yet. We aren't even an official couple."

The girl looked at Sonic's sheepish expression before smiling while shaking her head. "Well, tonight's Halloween. A day for surprises. You never know!" She looked at her notes. "But I can tell you many girls are going to be heartbroken, but I'm sure they'll be looking for this mystery boy and start shipping you with him."

"I don't know what that means."

"That's quite alright. I doubt most celebrities know what teenagers are up to these days." She shut her journal. "There are other guests I need to interview. Expect my friend to come around and talk to you about your fight with Chaos, he works for a different department than I." She waved him off, while he stood there in thought. Kissing Shadow? Wow, it sounded so...

Weird, yet exciting.

oOo

Meanwhile, Shadow had his own issues clouding his mind. One, the GUN Commander had been wearily staring him down since the moment they made eye contact. Luckily, he was able to drop his visor before the other could recognize his face even further.

"Who are you?" The Commander glowered at the hedgehog hybrid.

"I don't feel obligated to answer," He snarkily replied.

The old man grit his teeth. "I am Commander of the United Federation Military, and I will be respected."

He scoffed, "I don't have to do anything."

"Sir Lancelot!" Sonic intervened, grabbing the other's hand. He had seen the transaction from not too far, and felt the need to squeeze his friend out of a tough situation. "You should try the punch! It tastes so good!" The blue teen looked at the Commander. "Oh, you! We've met before, haven't we? I believe it was here, after I saved the world from Chaos, right?"

The Commander glared at teenager. "Don't think I'm not on to you, hedgehog." With that said, he left. He dared not to make a scene against the hero of the world. Sonic beamed before looking at Shadow.

"Hey, what's his problem? He's always so grouchy." He pouted.

Shadow rolled his eyes beneath his helmet. Grouchy was a huge understatement.

The blue hybrid paused. "Hey, let's hang out some more. Okay? You shouldn't stay in the corner by yourself."

Shadow complied and let the younger Mobian lead him around. Eventually, it was time to leave and the family left to head towards the abandoned castle.

oOo

"Oh, I didn't know that the lake was this big..." Sonic said softly before looking at the large cliff at the center of the lake. "Nor did I think it'd be that high...or _big_."

"What part of it being in the middle of a lake did you not understand?" Rouge huffed while sitting comfortably on the wing of the X Tornado as it flew over the castle.

"I'll land in the courtyard, Tails said from the pilot seat, changing the direction of the plane. The younger girls all let out small groans from their crowded seats as the sudden tilt made them feel sick.

As the plane came to a landing, Sonic and the others who sat on the wings jumped off and landed on the ground. "I say we explore for a bit, and then find a place to sleep."

"The grounds are so big and pretty!" Amy exclaimed as she hopped off the plane and landed in his arms. "The fountain itself looks so impressive!"

He let out a whistle as he turned his head to see the courtyard, and then noticed the size of the castle itself.

He smirked, wondering if it really was haunted like Rouge claimed it was.

oOo

It was nighttime, and the gang had long retired into large bedrooms within the manor. Many of them had fallen asleep.

Sonic laid sprawled on the four poster bed with Tails beside him. The younger boy, who had been paranoid ever since they entered the manor, jolted upwards.

"Sonic!" He whispered harshly as he felt his heart speed up. "Sonic, I heard something!" He shook his older brother awake.

The blue Mobian stretched on the bed and let out a small squeak, smacking his lips as he slowly pushed himself up. "You heard something?" He said softly, while rubbing his eyes. "Like what?"

Tails was shaking at this point. "T-they stopped for now, but I swear, I heard giggling!"

"Giggling? Are you sure it wasn't the girls?" The kit hybrid nodded uncontrollably, despite Sonic being barely able to make out the dark figure.

He let out a sigh. "All right, we'll check it out." His fair arms stretched across the bed to turn on the gas light, wincing as his eyes slowly adjusted. "Knuckles!" He called to the echidna sleeping in the bed beside his. All the boys slept in one large, circular room they found with six beds aligned along the walls while the girls slept in a similar one right across the hall. The echidna growled as he covered his head with the covers to block out the light.

"Knuckles, please get up!" The blond hybrid whimpered. He was holding onto Sonic's waist with a firm grip.

"Yeah, Knux. Get up!" He yelled, chucking his pillow at the knucklehead.

"Ow!" The redhead hissed "What do you want, it's like one in the morning!"

"Tails heard giggling and we're all gonna check it out." Sonic stated.

"It's probably the girls."

"No, it's not. Get up. You too, Silver."

Silver groaned as he turned in his bed. "Do we have to? I was having such a nice dream..."

"Yes," He said as he got off the bed with difficulty. "Tails, I'll let you hold me all you want, just at least let me go for a few seconds so I can fully wake up." The fox hesitantly let go and watched as Sonic did warm ups in place, before latching himself onto his arm. The blue teen noticed the unused bed that belonged to a certain hedgehog...

"Yo, where'd Shadow go?"

The door opened revealing the darker Mobian, who approached him. "The boy is right. There's something in these walls."

"Sweet, an adventure!" He cheered. "I guess we should wake up the girls, huh?"

"Already taken care of. They heard the laughter too."

"We did!" Amy exclaimed as she entered the room and advanced towards Sonic. Rouge followed shortly after.

"Woah, woah, you can't just come into our room like that!" Knuckles frowned. "What if we were changing."

"There's nothing we care to see, Knuckie," Rouge teased.

The redhead Mobian huffed. "Whatever. Anyways, why aren't you wearing pjs?" He gestured towards her everyday attire.

"Oh, did you want to see me in them?" She asked innocently before smiling triumphantly at the echidna's flustered expression. "No, actually I was exploring the castle with Shadow for a bit."

"You know, you could've asked me to explo-"

"Enough with the flirting, okay? We get it." Amy crossed her arms and scowled. "Let's just hurry up and figure out what's going on! Blaze is trying to comfort Cosmo and Cream as we speak, and we all need our beauty sleep!"

The bat hybrid smirked, "I won't argue with that last part!"

Blaze walked into the room while holding both Cosmo and Cream's hand, the latter holding Cheese with her free hand. Both of the young girls looked bewildered and scared out of their minds. The moment they saw their older brother, they let go of the feline and ran towards him, joining Tails in clutching onto the other.

"Sonic, it was really scary!" Cream started tearing up while Cosmo nodded her head in agreement as she trembled.

"Girls, Tails, it'll be fine. We'll get to the bottom of this, I promise." He gave the girls a reassuring smile. "You girls should stick with Blaze though." He looked up at the lavender-haired Mobian. "You can keep a watch over them, right?"

She nodded. "Of course I can."

"Alright, while Blaze takes care of the girls, we should split-"

"Wait, I'm coming too!" Amy huffed. "I'm old enough to go on adventures if Tails can, remember the Chaos Crisis? I held off on my own!"

Sonic blinked at her in surprise before grinning. "Alright, but you and Tails are staying with me." He glanced at the other older Mobians in the room. "I guess Shadow can go with Rouge while Knuckles goes with Silver."

The echidna scowled, feeling jealous over the idea of Rouge being with Shadow, but let it go. Shadow and Rouge merely exchanged a nod before leaving the room swiftly.

Silver turned to Knuckles. "So you and me, right?" The redhead merely frowned at him before letting out a sigh of agreement, slightly peeving him off. He didn't have to make his annoyance so obvious!

"Alright, since I guess the other's left, we should too." Sonic held Tails' hand as Amy led them out of the room, not really complaining about the pink Mobian taking the initiative as it amused him.

He chuckled to himself as he realized how much he influenced her since they first met.

oOo

A loud, feminine shriek echoed through the halls, gaining the attention of all those on patrol. They all immediately ran to the spot they heard the sound from, only to see Amy hitting the wall with her mallet.

"Bring him back! You can't-" She hit the wall with all her force. "-Take-" Another slam. "-Away-" She panted and her voice began to crack. "-My-" She hit the wall weakly. "-Sonic." She fell to her knees and began to sob.

"Amy, what happened? Where's Sonic and Tails?" Knuckles ran up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"They took Tails first, and Sonic tried to save him, but then they took him too!" She choked as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"What?" Shadow narrowed his eyes. " _Who_ took Sonic?"

"These _ugly_ ghost things." She replied with disgust dripping in her tone.

"Ghosts?" Rouge raised a brow.

"That's ridiculous. Ghosts don't exist." The darker hedgehog shot the bat a look.

"I'm telling you, I _saw_ them. They disappeared through this wall." She placed her hand on the spot she had previously been hitting with her hammer.

"Hey, what's this thing?" Silver asked as he bent down and picked up an hourglass statue.

Amy wiped her tears away with the back of her hand. "We found that pedestal in this hallway. Sonic picked it up and that's when the ghosts attacked us."

Silver inspected it. "Maybe it's the piece to a puzzle?" He noticed that one end had a sun engraved into it while the other had a moon.

"Maybe…" The preteen furrowed her brows as she thought.

"You should go back to the rooms where Blaze is." Knuckles advised her.

The pink hybrid glared at him. "No way! I'm not going anywhere until we find Sonic and Tails!"

"Amy-"

"C'mon, let her come along, Knuckles." Silver vouched for his friend. "She's the only one who saw what happened, her guess is better than any of ours."

The redhead merely glared at the albino hedgehog, before rolling his eyes. "Fine, whatever."

"Can I see that?" Rouge asked Silver as she gestured towards the statue. He handed it to her and everyone watched as she observed it.

"It might just belong on this pedestal Shadow and I saw outside." She mused aloud. "It had the words 'appears under the moon; disappears under the sun' inscribed into it. The circumference of the circular end is identical to that on the pedestal."

"Then it seems as though that pedestal is our best bet," the darker Mobian glanced at the statue in her hands.

"Alright, then," Amy stood up with a look of determination on her face. She clenched her fist tightly. "Let's go find Sonic!"

oOo

"This is it," Rouge waited for the others to gather around the pedestal.

Knuckles looked at her. "So, what? Do we just place the thing back on it or-"

"Wait," Shadow frowned as he got on one knee and hovered his hand over the ground beside the pedestal. "There's a draft coming from beneath the surface. There must be a secret passageway."

"Alright," The echidna began. "I suppose I can just-"

Amy let out a yell as she made her piko piko hammer appear and slammed it into the stone's side so it would move. Like Shadow said, a long staircase descended into darkness where the base of the pedestal once was. She looked at the other's with fierce jade eyes. "Let's get going."

Knuckles grabbed her arm as she began going down the stairs. "Hold on. It's too dangerous."

Amy frowned and glared at the spot Knuckles was holding her. "I _know_ that." She ripped her arm out of his hold and humphed, continuing her descent. The older Mobian felt a vein pop in his head and had to pinch the bridge of his nose to contain himself from snapping at the preteen's attitude. He remembered why he let Sonic deal with her and then regretted letting him rub off on her. He scowled when he heard Rouge giggle at his reaction, but followed the bat and Shadow into the hole with Silver right behind him.

oOo

"Aren't you scared, Amy?" Silver asked Amy as he passed the other's to catch up to her.

She turned to face him and shrugged carelessly, a cocky grin on her face. "No." She walked with her head held high until she felt something wet fall on the back of her neck. Her body tensed up and she screeched, alarming the others, until Silver assured her that it was just a drop of water that fell on her. "Haha, yeah, I knew that!" She attempted to grin and let out a nervous laugh. "Let's keep going down."

They made it to the end of the stairs and tensed when they heard laughter. "It's them, It's the ghosts!" The pink Mobian yelled, and suddenly at the end of the hallway, ghosts appeared and were charging towards them.

"Holy shit!" Knuckles jumped when he saw them. Rouge handed Amy the statue before she and Shadow adopted a fighting stance, along with Knuckles and Silver after they recovered from their shock. The ghosts encircled them and the preteen used the statue as a shield, only to her shock and the others that the rest of the ghosts stopped and seemed afraid of the object before fleeing.

"They're afraid of that thing?" Silver raised a brow as he walked towards her.

The pink hybrid smirked. "Oh, really? Then let's show them who's boss!" She ran after them, startling Silver as he ran to catch up to her. Knuckles called after her and cursed at her recklessness and reminded himself to reprimand an influential blue hybrid later. Rouge and Shadow exchanged a glance before following after the others.

oOo

"Wait, Amy, let's be reasonable about this-" Silver began before being silenced by Amy's curt glare.

"Sonic said it was fine, so it's fine." She huffed.

"It just doesn't make sense though," The albino looked at the ceiling where Sonic was trapped on the other side. The blue hybrid had been speaking to them and giving Amy compliments and directions on what to do with the statue. He looked very frustrated and anxious though as she got closer to the pedestal that he had told her to place the statue on. "Why would he tell you to place it with the moon side up when the inscription said they _rise_ under the moon?"

"I dunno. Maybe it's wrong." She shrugged.

Shadow frowned. "Highly unlikely." He said from over his shoulder after he finished trying to get Sonic out of the ceiling, along with Rouge and Knuckles. It was must've been protected by magical barriers.

"She should just put it on the damn thing," Rouge sighed. "With us here, we should be able to deal with whatever it throws at us."

"Yeah, we're getting no luck trying to bring this wall down." Knuckles faced Amy. "Go ahead and do it."

She nodded and placed the statue on the pedestal with the moon facing upwards. Suddenly, a bright white light enveloped the room. A giant, hideous looking ghost appeared- King Boom Boo, as well as his minions.

Everyone stared at the large ghost, though Knuckles was the first to say anything.

"The fu-"

"Where'd he come from?" Amy yelped as she took in the _size_ of the thing.

"Thank you, fools," the King said in Sonic's voice, before laughing sadistically, along with the high pitched laughter of his minions.

"You were just pretending to be Sonic!" The pink Mobian felt her hands shake with rage. "I'll show you not to make a fool out of me!" Her hammer appeared in her hand, and she ran towards the King.

"Wait, Amy, stop!" Sonic yelled from the other side of the ceiling. It was too late though, she had already leaped and swung her arm, but it went right through the ghost. She landed on the ground uneasily, as she lost her footing. The King took advantage of this and grabbed her.

"H-Hey, let me go!" She panicked as she struggled in the ghost's grip.

Rouge screw kicked the King's arm as it was temporarily solid, and the pink hybrid let out a yelp as she fell, only to be caught by Shadow.

"Silver, flip the hourglass!" The dark Mobian ordered, and Silver quickly complied after a moment of shock.

"On it!"

"Rouge!" Knuckles called after the bat as the smaller minions began to swarm after her as she flew in the air.

"Shit!" She hissed as she tried to fly away from them, only to have one apparate in front of her and stun her when she made impact. She fell to the ground, but was caught by Knuckles quickly.

"Thanks," She nodded while getting back on her feet.

"Don't mention it." He looked at the ghost. "Let's keep them away from Silver."

"I can do that."

The albino ran towards the pedestal and flipped the statue after wavering between Knuckles, Shadow, and Rouge when they would get close to him to attack any ghosts coming after him, only to have another bright light fill the room as the ghosts screamed in agony.

Sonic emerged from the bright light with an unconscious Tails over his shoulder. He ran towards the King and leapt, giving the ghost a powerful quick to the head.

"Sonic!" Amy, Silver, and Knuckles all exclaimed simultaneously.

He planted his feet on the ground and patted Tails on the back after feeling the other stir. His emerald eyes glanced at the others, all of whom were fighting enemies.

"You creeps don't scare me anymore!" Amy yelled as she whacked several with her mallet.

Shadow appeared beside him. "You get the others out of here, I'll distract the big one and then follow you out."

He nodded, knowing that the other was fast enough to escape. "Alright." He ran and grabbed Amy's hand, who stared at him with surprise. "Tell Silver, Knuckles, and Rouge to get out of here!" She nodded and ran towards Silver, who was closest to her as well as protecting the statue.

Tails became conscious and squirmed in his older brother's hold. "W-where are we?" Sonic placed the boy on the ground when he saw Shadow taking on the King all by himself.

"Making and escape. Stay right here, I'll be right back." The blond nodded before watching his big brother run towards Shadow and the King.

"I thought I told you to leave!" Shadow scowled at the blue hybrid.

"We just need to take it down long enough to escape. I figured it'd be quicker with the two of us."

The other Mobian nodded in agreement. "Alright, we'll attack simultaneously."

"Got it."

The two hedgehog hybrids spin dashed into King Boom Boo, sending him flying into the wall that crumbled under the force.

"We did it!" Sonic fist pumped. He blinked in surprise when he saw movement from under the debris.

"Save the celebrating for later." Shadow scolded.

"Alright, let's blow this joint." The blue teen said before running off, with Shadow close behind him. He picked up an adjusting Tails and ran up the staircase.

"Shit!" Shadow hissed, and Sonic peeked a glance over his shoulder to see the King following them, destroying the stairs as he did so. He focused on running faster, seeing light in the distance. He felt the dark Mobian run beside him and they continued outracing the ghost.

They emerged into the sunlit courtyards and Amy huffed before using all her strength to smash her hammer into the moveable platform so that it would conceal the secret passageway. Knuckles grabbed the hourglass statue from Silver's hands and placed it on the pedestal with all of his force, everyone winced as there was another blinding light.

"That should take care of it." The echidna let out a breath as he rubbed his hands together.

"Or not," Rouge smirked. "The wrong side is facing up."

He frowned. "Well, shit...That's not my problem anymore. I'm done."

Amy wrapped her arms around Sonic and Tails, who the former had just let go. "You guys are okay! Thank goodness!"

"Thanks, Amy! You did a pretty good job handling things!" Her older brother beamed at her.

"Oh, well," she blushed from the flattery. "It was no big deal!"

Tails smiled. "That was quite an adventure."

"Yeah, it was pretty exciting, right?" The blue Mobian looked up at the crowd.

Rouge chuckled. "I've got to admit, I actually found that pretty fun! It's been too long since I've had some hand-to-hand combat."

"Yeah, it was nice," Silver agreed before noticing his best friend running towards them with Cream and Cosmo beside her. "Blaze?"

"Hello, how was your night?" She greeted the others.

"It was fine, and yours?" Amy answered.

"It was fine for the most part. There were a few confrontations, but...the girls and I held the off pretty well."

"Oh?" Sonic asked, intrigued as he looked at the young girls.

"I was surprised by them," She began. "Cream and Cheese have good teamwork and are stronger than you'd think; Cosmo has interesting powers that are developing. The three of us managed to leave the castle without any harm. We camped out in the plane while we waited for you guys to return. I'll let them give you the details."

"Really?" Sonic smiled at his girls and knelt to their level. "What'd you do?"

They exchanged a glance a giggled. "Well, Blaze was protecting us when the ghosts tried getting us, and we we're backed into a wall, but Cheese and I almost got captured but then I suddenly started flying!" The rabbit hybrid began, while straightening her dress. "My ears are really strong!"

"Very cool, Cream!" He tickled her neck and she laughed. "And you Cosmo?"

"When we were backed into the wall, I opened the window and saw vines against the wall. I don't know how, but I got them to grow and become sturdy. We were able to escape by climbing down them."

"Seems like you have a pretty cool power, Cosmo. We should work on developing it. I'll help ya!" He smiled proudly at her and she shyly returned the smile, feeling warmth when Sonic offered to let her hold his hand, which she eagerly accepted.

"They're growing up," Blaze told Amy. "You're a good influence on them. You make them confident. They see you when you're strong, and they want to be like you."

The pink hybrid laughed. "Well, I get it from Sonic, so there's a system going on." She paused. "And you know it's you too, right? They really admire you, and so do I."

The feline Mobian smiled and shyly averted her gaze as a small blush appeared.

Rouge sighed. "I suppose we should pack up our stuff and go now? We should get back to the school soon. Class is tomorrow."

Everyone looked at her and nodded, groaning as they remembered the pile of incomplete homework they had to do.

oOo

Sonic knocked on Shadow's dorm room door, smiling when he saw the knob turn and the door open, revealing the darker hedgehog.

"Yes?" Shadow raised a brow as he crossed his arms and leaned on his doorway.

"I just wanted to say thank you. I didn't get the chance to earlier." Sonic replied with a grin on his face.

The other Mobian paused and blinked. "For what?"

"Well, you saved Amy from falling, and then you risked yourself for all of us." He answered, carefully watching Shadow's reaction. "What? You didn't think I'd forget that, did you?"

The darker hybrid stared at him. "It was nothing."

"Yeah, well, nothing or not, it meant _something_ to me." His emerald eyes softened. "Listen, I really appreciate what you did."

"I see...but don't expect me to do it again."

Sonic sent him a sly smirk. "Oh, I won't." He noticed Shadow's distant gaze and grew concerned. "Hey, are you alright?"

"Me?" His red eyes directed onto green. "Yes."

"You know, after Halloween, it's Christmas." The blue teen waited for some kind of reaction, and continued when there was none. "I really hope we can do something fun like this again."

Shadow frowned. "Why are you spending so much time with me?"

"Huh?"

He pushed himself off the wall and stood up straight. "You always try to include me, and I don't get why."

"Oooh," the younger teen smiled sheepishly. "Isn't it kind of… I dunno, obvious?" He let out a nervous laugh.

"No, I don't understand at all." Shadow put a hand on his hip and waited for an explanation.

"Well," He scratched the back of his head and averted his gaze as he thought of an easy way to put this. He thought of what Amy would say in his situation, she was good at expressing her feelings. He relaxed himself and stared at the other softly. "I like you. I like you a lot."

Crimson eyes widened before narrowing. "You shouldn't."

Sonic huffed. "And why not?" The other didn't reply, so he continued. "Look, I like you, and that won't change. You may not know it, but there's something in you. Something good."

The tan Mobian scoffed. "You don't know anything about me." He couldn't look Sonic in the eyes as a painful memory came up. He tried to suppress it.

"Hey, I may not know anything about you, and you me, but there's something about yourself I'm guessing you haven't understood yet, but I have. There's good in you, whether you believe it or not."

He scowled. "You've been mistaken."

The blue hybrid rolled his eyes and sighed. "Okay, whatever." He turned. "Oh, and before I leave, I was wondering if we could have another date?"

Shadow crossed his arms again. " _When_?"

"I dunno, I'll think of something and tell you then. Bye!"

The dark-haired Mobian watched the teen go down the stairs and walk into his dorm next door, before closing the door and locking it. He felt anger swell up in him and he punched the wood, though not hard enough to cause damage to it. He was angered by how much he was softening up to the blue hedgehog, angered by how much he _cared_ for the damned kid. He wasn't allowed to care about anyone. There was no one else but _her_ , and she was gone now. He had a promise to fulfill and he would go through any lengths to accomplish it.

He needed to talked to the Doctor, and he needed to do it _now_.

* * *

 _A/N: What a softie. Also, just because it was a special, that doesn't mean it wasn't important! Look at all those interactions between the characters! Especially Sonic and Shadow. Look at him trying to save the other and then being in denial. Awe. Such a weenie._

 _Next up: Christmas prep and the SA2 Arc. Idk when exactly because I may decide to rewrite the entire thing for the umpteenth time...ugh. Guess that's why I have spring break to work? Depends on whether or not I get the motivation to actually write haha. Lazy people problems._

 _Reviews are always appreciated!_


	12. City Escape

_A/N: Now we move back into the action. I rewrote these next few chapters like five times. FIVE. At LEAST. Like, I don't care anymore. They're good enough, I guess. Ugh. Sooo done. They're probably so sloppy, I hate everything. I could never be an actual writer omg._

* * *

 _ **Chapter 12: City Escape**_

Sonic scowled at the sight before him. He never hated green, in fact, he thought it was a great color. It was the color of his eyes, the color of Cosmo's hair, the color of trees and nature. For that reason, he was quite annoyed as he pulled thin silvery strips off the beautiful evergreen in his dorm's living room.

"Amy, stop! You're putting on way too much tinsel!" It couldn't even be called a tree anymore as it had become nothing more than a twinkling eyesore.

The pink haired hybrid turned her head and gave him a look. "It's fiiiine."

"I can't even see the decorations! Or lights!"

"Alright, alright," she huffed. "I'll help take some off."

"It's still November, why are we putting Christmas stuff up?" Knuckles scowled as he was given the duty of putting ornaments on the higher part of the tree since he was the tallest.

"Oh, hush you! December is in like two days!" Amy threw some of the tinsel in her hands at the redhead.

"Hey! Stop it!"

Sonic laughed, watching them out of the corner of his eyes as he fixed some of the lights on the tree. He was actually pretty excited, he never celebrated Christmas like _this_ before. He had a home, friends, his family. He couldn't be happier.

"It was really nice of those people to give us all this stuff for free!" Cream smiled as she got off the couch and walked over to him to inspect the tree, momentarily taking a break from the Christmas special she had been watching with Cheese, Tails, and Cosmo. "Do you think Santa will visit us even though we're at school?"

"Of course, Cream! He always does!" He made sure to give her a wide smile. No matter how poor they were, he always made an effort to get the kids something for Christmas and say it was from old Saint Nick.

The echidna hybrid glanced at the analog clock on the wall. "We should get going. Dinner starts in a bit."

The blue Mobian chuckled as he tossed all the extra tinsel in his hands into a plastic bag. "Yeah, we can finish fixing this nightmare later." He smirked at the preteen beside him.

"H-Hey!"

oOo

The gang were at their cafeteria table with the same crowd. As usual, multiple conversations were going on at once. The younger girls and Charmy were babbling about Christmas, Sonic was talking to Silver and Blaze about some interesting memes he saw online and found amusing. Knuckles and the Chaotix were discussing the most recent cases the detective agency had been involved in, with Rouge listening and giving pieces of advice here and there as she shopped for new jewelry on the tablet she brought with her. The only ones who weren't really involved were Tails, who was busy sketching designs in his notebook, Espio, who despite being an introvert still participated every once in awhile, and Shadow.

"Hey, we should go to the city soon." Amy suggested aloud, gaining everyone's attention. "I'm sure it'll look lovely when it's decorated, and it'd also be a chance to do some Christmas shopping."

Blaze nodded. "Sounds good to me. I'd love to accompany you."

"Yeah, how about the weekend after next?" The blue teen added. "The decorations should be up by then, right?"

"Yeah, I mean, it'll be a couple weeks before Christmas by then so I wouldn't expect them to wait any longer." Silver agreed.

The blue Mobian brushed a few strands of hair out of his face. "Man, I hope we get a new adventure soon. I dunno how many more assignments I can take!"

Vector let out a heavy sigh. "I have to agree. I failed that pop quiz in math the other day. When did all the teachers decide to drop all this work on us at once?"

"Right?!" Sonic sat up straight. "We're also having a unit test coming up and our teacher gave a ton of review work. Remember how earlier in the year we had so much freetime? Like, dude, I'm seriously hating this."

"You know, you probably wouldn't hate it the so much if you didn't procrastinate," Tails chuckled. "You have a habit of forgetting to do your math homework until it's 10 at night."

"Because it's stupid." The blue teenager groaned. "What's the point of doing work at home when I just did it for six hours at school? Pointless!"

"Ha, _you're_ complaining."

"Can it, Knuckles. You just spend all your time guarding that rock. That's not even work, you just sit there doing nothing."

The redhead scowled. "Wouldn't want another crazy scientist to come back and break it, right?"

"But we _fixed_ that. Chaos is happy now, it won't happen again."

"Hey!" Rouge gestured towards her tablet. "I just checked the news and it seems like someone found the green Chaos Emerald." She sighed. "But it's being put in a museum, and has been claimed as government property."

"What?" Knuckles frowned. "You can't own a Chaos Emerald!"

"Exactly!" She exclaimed. "I would've done that by now if it were possible!"

Sonic noticed the way Shadow's brow raised with interest. He tilted his head and observed the darker Mobian. They've been on a some dates since Halloween, like to the park and some dinners, but he couldn't help but notice how... _distant_ the other has been since that night they talked. Before the Mobian would relax and be cocky with the blue hybrid, but now he spoke rarely and thought his words carefully through. It just wasn't natural, and that made him nervous. He wasn't sure how to confront Shadow on this, so he hadn't brought it up to him yet.

He just hoped that the other was alright.

oOo

A few weeks later, the gang, with the exception of the Chaotix and Knuckles (the latter deciding to protect his stupid gem _again_ ), had all gone to Station Square as planned.

"Ooo, look at that tree!" Amy squealed as she saw the giant Christmas tree in the center of the city, beautifully decorated with large ornaments and hundreds of thousands of colorful lights.

"Amy, the buttons on your jacket aren't matched up," Cream pointed towards the pink Mobian's jacket. Despite them living in a tropical area and it being summer, it had been pouring a lot for the past few days. Sonic made sure all the kids dressed prepared before leaving the house to avoid getting sick, using donated clothing from families that still felt thankful towards him for saving the world. They didn't have to do that as being a hero was his duty, so he made sure to visit many of them to express his thanks.

"Oh, thanks for catching that, Cream!"

The blue teen had been contently walking beside Shadow behind everyone else. He smiled at his crush and went to reach for the other's hand, but was rejected as the darker Mobian instead glared at him as he stuffed his hand into his jacket's pocket. His expression became a mixture of hurt and confusion as he wondered why the other was being so cold to him. He brushed off the pain he felt as he took a step away from the other to give him his space. Maybe he was just in a bad mood…

"We should go to the mall," Amy smiled. "I'm sure we can all get some ideas on what we want for Christmas and what we can give."

"Sonic!" Tails turned and grabbed his empty hand, resulting in the blue hybrid to smile. "Do you think we could take the girls to see Santa? I think they'd like that very much!"

Cosmo and Cream looked at him with surprise. Santa was _here_? Amy chuckled; she was too old to believe in mall Santas, but the reaction from her sisters amused her.

"Sure, when we see him in the mall, you can tell him what you want."

The two girls cheered happily and began chatting about all toys they wanted, with Sonic occasionally listening in for ideas on what to get them.

Shadow looked at him. "I'm going to go check something out."

"Do you want us to come with you or-"

"-No," he scowled. "I'm going alone." He stopped walking with the others and turned away. Everyone turned to Rouge for an explanation.

The bat hybrid shrugged. "I really don't know what's up with him." She walked beside the blue Mobian and took Shadow's place before leaning close to his ear. "But I can find out if you're curious." She whispered in a low tone so no one else could hear.

He shook his head. "No, that wouldn't be right. He might just want some alone time, and that's fine."

Rouge gave him a doubtful look. "Well, _I_ want to figure this out. This was my original mission, after all." She smiled apologetically. "If I do anything...odd, please accept my apology in advance. I'm going to get down to the bottom of this one way or another."

"That's fine, I wouldn't think any less of you." He smiled and the bat nodded.

"I'll be going too," She announced to the others as she waved goodbye. "I'll see you all later, okay?"

Everyone nodded and waved back while they watched her leave.

oOo

With shopping bags from various stores beside them, Sonic and Amy stood next to each other as they leaned against the fence of the seasonal attraction, watching Blaze accompany their younger sisters on their first meeting with Santa. Tails had left to go to a nearby bookstore while the albino Mobian decided to join him. That left the two hedgehog hybrids some quality time alone.

"Are you and Shadow doing alright?"

Sonic jumped in surprise at the sudden question, unsure of what brought up this topic. "What?"

Amy shrugged, her arms propped on the fence while she rested her head on them. "I don't know, it just seems to me that recently you both have been looking really awkward when you stand next to each other. Did something happen?"

The blue Mobian sighed. "Okay, so it's not just me noticing it. Yeah, he's been acting so weird lately. I have no clue why, but I don't think I did anything wrong." He frowned.

"You probably didn't. I mean, he's still standing next to you."

"True."

"Well, since you don't know, I guess it's just something personal."

"Yeah, I was wondering if it was that."

Silence passed between them as they both watched Cream get on Santa's lap. The blue hybrid turned to face her.

"You know, you've been awfully calm about this whole 'me and Shadow' thing. Did your love for me finally end?"

She giggled, lifting her head as she faced him. "No! Love is being happy for the person you care about most- which is you! But," she paused. "All I can say is, as long as I stay your number one girl, I'm fine. Like, if you had fallen for a girl, I can assure you, I would've freaked out."

"So if I told you I also had a crush on Sally, you'd be mad at me?"

The pink hybrid tensed before narrowing her eyes. "You're joking...right?" She said sternly.

"Of course!" Sonic laughed. "Just teasing. She's smart and pretty, but I already have Shadow. You'll always be my number one girl, okay?"

Jade eyes brightened as a wide smile appeared on his younger sister's face. "Always!"

She hugged him and he returned her embrace.

"Sometimes I think about the day we met, and I'm just very grateful for what happened." She said softly as she snuggled into his chest. "After I was abandoned, I had nobody. But then you saved me, and suddenly all my pain and sadness just slipped away." She looked up into emerald eyes. "You mean the world to me."

"Amy," the blue teen brushed back her pink hair with an uneasy expression. "What's up with this?"

"It means a lot to me to be your number one girl." She admitted as she backed up slightly. "I'm really glad you're my older brother. Because of you, I was able to have this chance to be happy. To have a family. Love."

The older Mobian felt a genuine smile stretch across his face. "I'm glad I met you too. I don't think I could talk to anyone else like I can with you. You're also strong and kind; you have the making of a leader in you."

Amy beamed with a gleam confidence in her eyes.

oOo

"Tails?" Silver asked as he watched the blond gaze at a selection of books on outer space.

"Yes?" The fox hybrid answered as he pulled out a book about the moon and skimmed through its pages.

"Well, okay, this question might sound weird to you, but, uh…" He scratched his cheek and blushed, suddenly feeling embarrassed. The younger Mobian raised an amused brow and smirked as he put the book back on the shelf.

"Go ahead, it's fine."

"Is Sonic- Is he, you know," the hedgehog hybrid sucked in a breath and watched the blond gesture for him to continue. "Is something going on between him and Shadow?"

"Oh," Tails blinked. Of course he knew. He understood why the blue hybrid hadn't brought it up to their friends; it wasn't official so he didn't want to make a big deal out of it. Sonic just wouldn't say anything about his relationship, nor would he deny it. He'd hold hands with the other if he felt like it or not have any physical contact at all. It was a very fluid relationship, and it fit him perfectly.

"Well," the kit began. "They aren't a couple, but they've been on a few dates together. They haven't really done anything but hold hands." He shrugged. "Like, I guess there is something going on, but it's nothing serious."

Silver's lips formed a thin line before he released a sigh. "Alright, I suppose."

The young boy tilted his head. "Why'd you want to know?"

A blush appeared on the other's tan skin as he was taken aback by the question. "I-I just don't trust Shadow."

The blond couldn't help but nod. "Yeah, he _is_ pretty mysterious."

oOo

"My, my, is this what you've been doing since you left us?" Rouge smirked at the darker Mobian before glancing at the red flashing lights and overwhelmed policemen. The darkness of the alley's shadows concealed them both from the crime scene.

Her roommate glared at her. "It's none of your business."

"Oh, really?" She smirked. "But I want in."

" _What_?"

"You heard me. Whatever you're planning, I want in."

"I don't trust you."

"After all this time we've been together? How cruel."

He grunted indifferently.

"Listen, I know you don't trust me, but you do _know_ me. I'll do anything to help collect _those_." She pointed at the crystallized object in his hand. "In fact," She pulled out a blue gem from a satchel across her waist. "I've already got a head start."

He seemed to contemplate the idea. "Very well. I'll bring you to the the Doctor and he will make the decision."

She grinned. _Perfect_.

oOo

"Sonic the Hedgehog, you are under arrest!"

"What? For what!" The blue teen yelled at the accusing Overlander officer with a confused expression on his face.

"For stealing government property."

"I didn't steal anything!"

"Hey, what's going on?" Amy frowned. The gang had walked out of the mall only to be greeted by a blockade of military vehicles and police tape. "We just paid for all our stuff, I have the receipts!"

"We've been told you stole from the museum."

"No way! Sonic's been with us in this mall the entire time!" Silver scowled at the officer.

"That's disputable. With his speed, he could've rushed to the museum and back."

"But I didn't! I don't even know what you're accusing me of stealing!"

"Listen, we're just here doing orders. The higher ups saw you on camera and now there's a warrant for your arrest."

"Saw me on camera?" The blue teen was bewildered. "You know what, I'll just go. Whatever. I wanna talk to these higher ups." He looked at Silver and Blaze. "Make sure the kids get to the house safely, I'll try being there as soon as possible."

With that said, he felt a strong hand belonging to a GUN soldier clamp onto his shoulder and aggressively steer him towards a helicopter.

oOo

"Sonic? Are you there?"

" _Yes, Knuckles, it's me_." The echidna hybrid heard a loud groan from the other end of the receiver. " _Hey, I'm allowed one phone call_. _Let me talk_... _Sorry about that, Knux. I'm kind of in the middle of something_."

"Yeah, well, get out of that something. Something big just happened."

"... _Oh_?"

"Yeah, Eggman came by and tried to steal the Master Emerald. It's alright though, I broke it into pieces before he could take it. Good thing I can repair it, right? Unfortunately, the pieces scattered so now I have to find them all. But, hey, at least I was able to focus enough Chaos Energy to keep the island floating- that should last a few days. Anyways, yeah, he's up to something again and it can't be good."

There was a long pause. "... _Well, that certainly changes things._ "

"Well, you should figure out what's going on. In the meantime, I need to get some treasure hunting done."

" _Alright, I'm on it_."

They both hung up.

oOo

" _Report cargo status of captured hedgehog Mobian aboard, over_."

Sonic smirked and stared at the GUN soldiers with mischievous eyes and a toothy grin.

" _That's a 10-4. Cargo secured on board and_ …"

The blue Mobian pushed himself off his seat and kneed a nearby soldier in the gut. The others stood up to attack him.

" _What?!_ "

" _Didn't copy that, over_."

" _The hedgehog cargo is gone, he's taken out everybody aboard and-_ "

" _What's wrong? Come in, over!_ "

He recklessly opened the plug door.

" _What in the world_?!"

He jumped out of the helicopter and grabbed onto the wing. Wind was blowing his hair in every direction as he held on for his life. He managed to swing himself up so that his feet were planted on something firm. He saw a piece of metal sticking out awkwardly.

" _Freeze! What do you think you're doing!? Get that hedgehog_!"

He smirked and pulled on the piece of metal, surprised by how easily it detached. What a cheap product. He supposed his expectations had just been too high.

"Talk about low budget flights, no food or movies...I'm outta here!" He placed the metal beneath his feet, and gave a mock salute towards the soldiers staring at him in shock. "I like running better!" He pushed himself off, ignoring the horrified looks of GUN soldiers watching a teen fall from an exceptionally high altitude. As he descended upside down, the idea of spinning to make the spoiler act like a propeller came to mind. He squatted so that he could reach the metal and use all of his force to rotate it. He enjoyed the adrenaline rush as he saw the road get closer, before he flipped himself right side up and braced for impact.

oOo

Shadow crossed his arms as he watched the Doctor and Rouge converse. His eyes narrowed as he watched Eggman trust her with ease. How foolish of him.

"Ah, Rouge! I always knew you were my most promising student! Why else would I have let Shadow stay with you? Because of you, now I am one step closer to world domination!" He grinned at the blue emerald in his hands.

She giggled. "Oh, no need for flattery. I'm just the best at what I do."

He rolled his crimson eyes and focused them onto the green emerald in his hand. He didn't like this one, he decided. It reminded him too much of a certain somebody's eyes. He wasn't allowed to think about that, it would be selfish for him to do so. His purpose was to fulfill her dying wish, he wasn't meant to have his own feelings. They'd just get in the way of it all. He needed to get rid of these distractions.

His eyes fixed themselves on the Overlander in the room. "I'll be heading out, Doctor."

"What?" The Doctor huffed. "With the Chaos Emerald?"

Shadow nodded. "I'll be holding on to this one for a while." He caught a glimpse of the sly smirk on Rouge's face.

"Don't get too caught up in the moment." She teased while her eyes squinted knowingly.

He scowled at her. ' _She planned this from the beginning._ '

"I won't." He answered with a glare. He raised the green emerald as the words spilled from his lips. "Chaos-"

After watching the other Mobian leave as she had become accustomed to since they met, the she turned to the Doctor with an innocent smile. "May I explore your base?"

Eggman held his head high. "Yes, but I expect you to come when I order you to."

She grinned, watching as he sauntered out of the room.

oOo

"I never thought I would sink this low..." The blue-haired teenage detainee frowned as he navigated himself through the sewers. It smelled terrible and was dark, but it was the only place he could get a temporary refuge. "Since when did Overlanders become so technologically advanced?" He rolled his eyes, recalling all the GUN robots he had to fight through and that giant truck with the chainsaws he had to outrun. He actually stopped to think about it. Right, GUN was interested in Eggman's robots after the Chaos Crisis that they took their scraps in for research and reverse engineering. That was only a little over a month ago though, so he supposed the Overlanders were making good use of their time.

He scoffed. "Yeah, right. They can't even find out who the real criminal is."

City lights seeping through a small hole revealed a manhole above him. He contemplated the idea of going out in the open; he was so sick and tired of the sewers that he was willing to risk getting caught. He ran, kicked it, sending it flying. He immediately hopped through the hole and took in a breath of fresh air while appreciating the night sky.

"Freedom's never smelled so sweet!"

He heard something drop onto the ground behind him and felt the vibration travel up his legs. He turned around to see a large robot looming over him. F-6t Bigfoot.

"Ugh, this sucks."

He attacked by avoiding its turrets and spin dashing into it. After a couple of good hits, it collapsed to the ground and exploded. He grinned over how easy it was to beat. A piece of cake. He scanned his surroundings, making sure there were no others before looking back at the robot.

He jumped at the surprise. "Huh?"

Shadow was standing over the dismantled robot with a green gem in his hand. "Hello, Sonic." He said cooly with an impassive expression.

"Ah, Shadow!" The blue teen smiled with relief as he jogged towards the other. "Boy, am I glad to see you! You wouldn't believe what I got sucked into today!"

"I wanted to talk-"

"Wait, is that a Chaos Emerald?" He furrowed his brows as his eyes flickered between the gem and his crush. "The green one? That's the one Rouge told us about a few weeks ago...she said it belonged to the government... Why do you have it?"

The darker Mobian blinked before raising the gem. "It all starts with this...a jewel containing the ultimate power."

Sonic sent him a look. "Shadow, you have to return that. You can't just steal stuff like that, it's wrong. Besides, the military has mistaken me for you and that's not cool."

"If you're expecting me to clear your name, then you're deeply mistaken."

The blue teen was startled. "Dude, what do you mean?" His eyes widened in realization. "Are you...are you trying to impersonate me? Why?" The hurt in his expression was evident as he looked to the other Mobian for an answer.

Crimson eyes averted away from the blue Mobian and instead fixed onto the emerald. "I have a duty I must attend to."

"Shadow, please, I can help you. Just explain to me what's going on. Why are you making me a bad guy?"

The darker Mobian found himself staring into distressed emerald irises. "I..." He hesitated before frowning. "If you know what's good for you, take your family and leave the city. Go as far away as possible. I refuse to be held responsible for you if you decide to stay."

He gawked at him. "L-leave? Shadow, what are you talking about? What's going on? Please, just-"

"Chaos Control!" He vanished before the teenager's eyes.

"Wait! Don't leave me!" He spun around, his eyes darting everywhere until they found Shadow standing on top of a building as he tossed the emerald repeatedly in one hand. "How did you-"

"I'm the world's Ultimate Lifeform. For your sake, I hope we never meet again. Farewell, Sonic!" Once again, he disappeared into thin air.

"Wait, I want an explanation!" The blue teen groaned when he realized the other was really gone this time. What the hell was going on? Why was his crush being so _difficult_?

He was suddenly blinded by headlights.

"Halt! Stand where you are!"

Of course, _this_ again.

oOo

Rouge smiled triumphantly as she walked around the pyramid. She found the room she had been searching for and quickly sneaked in. She took a moment to admire her reflection in a large monitor before getting down to business.

"Well, well, well. What's this thing here?"

She began pressing buttons on a holographic keyboard to activate the screen, mentally praising herself for getting this far. The Doctor trusted her! Now she was able to access top secret information. Her mission was on a role.

"It's a...space transporter?" Her brow raised. "With a destination set for…the ARK? Wasn't that space colony shut down like fifty years ago?" She frowned as she rubbed her cheek in deep contemplation. "Dammit, I know Shadow somehow has ties to the ARK, but he was sealed within Prison Island. What exactly is the Doctor looking for up there?"

" _Rouge! Get on the ARK this instant! We have something we need to show you_!"

Rouge brought her transmitter close to her face. "Alright, Doctor. I'll be up as soon as I can." She sighed, realizing that she would've found out about the transporter even without her prying. Whatever. Life wasn't fun when the person you were spying on told you everything anyways. Her talents were being wasted. She stood on the teleporter with her hands on her hips and disappeared.

She took her time getting to the room.

"Yes, Doctor?"

She took in the giant machine before her and widened her eyes.

"What you see here is the glorious achievement of what the world's leading scientist, Gerald Robotnik, has created." Shadow gestured towards the machine. "The ARK was the first space colony created by mankind, but not many know that it contains a top secret research facility, where weapons of mass destruction were being created...this being one of them, a weapon with the power to destroy an entire planet. Codenamed: The Eclipse Cannon." Rouge blinked in surprise, not only because of the information being shared with her, but also because that was the most she ever heard her roommate say all at once. At any other time, she would've welcomed it. As the topic was the destruction of Mobius, it was rather...unsettling.

"A weapon powerful enough to destroy an entire planet? Was this truly my grandfather's legacy?" Eggman stroked his mustache as he handed Shadow the blue Chaos Emerald.

"It's been deactivated for some time now." The hedgehog Mobian continued as he inserted the gem into the weapon. "To reactivate it, it requires large amounts of energy."

"That would explain why we need the Chaos Emeralds."

He nodded in response. "Exactly. When you collect the emeralds, you will be given the ultimate power of mass destruction to use as you please."

"With this power, the world will be mine!" He grinned at the hybrid. "I like the way you think." He began laughing maniacally while Rouge rolled her eyes at the crazy old man beside her. She locked eyes with Shadow before glancing at the machine.

' _Seems like things just got really complicated_.'

* * *

 _A/N: Look at Shadow not being able to be a complete jerk to Sonic and feeling guilty enough to warn him. As much as he wants to take it back, the bond has already formed. Dammit, Rouge! Why did she convince him to hang out with the bubbling hero?!_

 _But, we the shippers owe it all to her ;)_

 _Had she not told him to get close to him, they definitely would've remained friendly rivals, but the relationship probably would've stayed that way despite Sonic's crush. At the point Sonic asked him to go on a date, it's very likely he would've rejected it if not for his conversation with her. Because the two hedgehog hybrids spent so much time together, intimately held hands, and got used to each other's presence, Shadow was able to get in touch with the inner feelings he suppressed long ago. As a result, that becomes a huge obstacle in Robotnik's plan. Thanks again, Rouge!_

 _On a side note, there's a map that I'm using for Mobius as a reference. Station Square and the ruins are located in Soumerca (South America), so they live in a tropical area. Because they're in the southern hemisphere, the seasons are reversed. Winter for them is Summer, Summer for them is always rainy and humid (As a person who lived in a tropical place, I can tell you that it's terrible. Only visit during Winter). Just felt I should explain this in case anybody got confused._

 _Also, after seeing the official Sonic the Hedgehog twitter, I have a headcannon of Sonic loving memes. Have you seen that account? It's honestly the best thing I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing. Absolutely fantastic. Just memes everywhere and it's OFFICIAL. I can't get over it. I love this fandom. Glad I spent half my life a part of it lol._

 _Yes, I will be following the games story-wise for a while. That's just to build up Sonic's reputation as a hero and establish relationships. It also ties in canon events with this fic, so it can be seen as an AU of sorts, like even though he's a human animal-hybrid stuck in school, he's still a hero gifted with phenomenal power...but he's also just a teenager. There will be a point where I will go a different route, and though I will be following the timeline of the games, I'll be changing the adventure a lot. Then near the end I have something that's more from the comics planned...But, we're not there yet! So, in the meantime, just enjoy this buildup for Shadonic/Sonadow. We'll get there when we get there._

 _See ya next time on Sonic X-er, I mean CCF. Hehe._


	13. Sonic's Big Break

_A/N: Here we go again. This chapter is pretty long, ew._

* * *

 _ **Sonic's Big Break**_

The pink Mobian gazed at the city of Station Square from across the sea. The breeze was fresh, though salty, as it played with her short hair and made her sundress lift slightly. The sun was shining on her, bringing her warmth. Today would've been a great day to visit the beach…

"Amy, stop straying…we need to stick together or we'll get caught!"

She pouted as she sent the fox hybrid an annoyed glare. "We're on a top secret military base, Tails. Being caught is inevitable." Her eyes narrowed skeptically as the blond fiddled around with his newest creation. It was called the Cyclone, a walker that was able to revert into its original form, the Tornado. The hedgehog complained earlier about his decision to bring _that_ instead of the X Tornado, which she thought looked better, but was reprimanded by the kit for her disregard towards the classics. Whatever. She placed her hands on her hips and frowned. "Tails, hurry up! We need to find Sonic and you're being too slow!"

"Sorry, I haven't really been able to test it out yet…"

"That's not comforting at all!" She huffed.

The blond hybrid began controlling the machine to walk, smiling as it did so with no faults. The pink hybrid walked beside him and his machine as she looked for a way to get inside the building.

"Do you think it was a good idea to come alone? I'm sure Blaze and Silver would've helped..."

"Tails, it's alright, we can save Sonic on our own. I have faith in us. We can be heroes too!"

The fox turned his head and looked down at her doubtfully. "But we helped out during the Chaos Crisis! We've already proven ourselves!"

Amy scowled. "Yeah, but don't you wanna do more? Don't you wanna show Sonic that we can go on wild adventures too and not be sent home for our protection? You know that the only reason we were allowed to stick around last time was because everything was happening too quickly and we were all separated."

"Yeah…"

The preteen sighed. "Ever since the Chaos Crisis and Halloween, we've been able to have so much fun with Sonic. Before, we used to be sheltered, and I appreciate that more than anything, but now that we've been able to do so much, I just wanna do more." She shot Tails a smile. "I'm not the same girl he rescued all those years ago, he's inspired me to be a heroine!"

His doubtful look softened into a smile. "Yeah, I understand, and I agree wholeheartedly!"

She beamed. "We'll, what are we waiting for? Let's go save Sonic!"

oOo

"A-Amy?" Sonic stared at the pink hybrid with complete surprise as he sprung to his feet and gripped the bars of his cell.

She shushed him. "We're gonna break you out."

"But how did you-? What happened to all the guards?"

"Tails is on guard duty right now," She shrugged before confidently waving a card in front of him. "There's no need to fear, Amy Rose is here!"

"I can see that," He nodded, before blinking suddenly. "Wait, is anybody else here?"

"Um…" The pink Mobian smiled sheepishly. "N-no? It's just me and Tails…" She paused with an alarmed expression. "You're not mad, are you?"

"No, just surprised is all." The blue teen answered honestly as he watched his younger sister smirk before swiping the card on the lock. The bars rose into the ceiling, freeing him. "So, what? You guys just happened to know I was sent to Prison Island? That I was confined to a cell underwater?"

Amy ushered for Sonic to follow her. "Well, I was worried about you, so I convinced Tails that you needed help. He did some hacking and we flew here on his updated Tornado." She grinned at him. "It has rockets."

The older hybrid chuckled. "Okay, and what about the rest of the girls?"

"They're home safe. I asked Blaze if she could watch them because I had errands to do."

"Good." He paused. "You, uh, you haven't seen Shadow around, have you?"

"No, why?" She replied, not breaking her stride.

"Because...well, the reason I'm in prison is because of him." He admitted.

Amy came to an abrupt halt and stared at him in shock. " _What_?"

He sighed. "Yeah, he stole a Chaos Emerald, and everyone's thinking its me. I saw him after I escaped the helicopter, but I haven't seen him since."

The preteen frowned. "I remember hearing about that on the news when we got home." She continued leading Sonic. "You escaping, I mean. I had no clue Shadow was involved." Her head whipped around to face him. "Why is he doing this to you though? You two are a couple!"

The blue teen lightly blushed. "We're not a couple, Ames." He insisted. "As for why, I don't have a single clue. However, being locked up with nothing else to do but try to read scribbles on the walls gave me time to think. I'd say he's been planning this for a while."

"How long?"

"Since shortly after Halloween. I mean, it's been really gradual, but that's when I started noticing something was off. It's probably the reason he's changed so much lately."

The pink Mobian scowled. "If that's the case, I'm gonna show this guy a lesson! Nobody hurts you and gets away with it!"

He sent her a half-hearted smile. "Amy, it's fine. I'm sure we'll get to the bottom of this soon."

She observed his expression and noticed him trying to conceal his true feelings behind that mask of his. Her eyes narrowed and her face hardened.

"C'mon," Sonic began, "Let's go get Tails!" He quickened his pace and Amy paused as she watched his retreating form before soon following suit.

oOo

" _Hey, it's Rouge. I've got a small problem...Ugh, I can't believe I'm trapped inside this locked safe with the Chaos Emeralds_!"

Shadow glanced at the transmitter on his wrist with furrowed brows.

" _I guess I won't be able to call myself a treasure hunter anymore_ …"

He blinked, and suddenly he wasn't in the forest anymore. He was back on the ARK, and before him stood a human girl with fair skin and blonde hair, staring at him with large blue eyes and a gentle smile gracing her lips.

He cringed and blinked again, shattering the vision. He didn't want to relive those last moments; he knew exactly what would come next. He felt frustration overwhelm him as he clenched his fists and ran.

oOo

It hadn't been long since he separated from his younger siblings, but Tails had informed him that he saw Eggman on one of the security cameras while he was hacking the prison's security, and Sonic was eager to know what the mad scientist was up to this time.

That, and perhaps he was curious to know if a certain Mobian hedgehog was involved with the Doctor's schemes. They were related, after all. Not only that, but it was highly unlikely that Eggman's return and Shadow's sudden change in behavior were mere coincidences.

He froze as he caught something odd in the corner of his eye and turned his head, eyes wincing in disbelief.

 _Shadow_?

"You really are involved?" The blue Mobian asked aloud, more to himself than anybody else.

The darker hybrid was perched in a tree, scouting the forest. At the sound of the other's voice, he looked down. He stood up straight and crossed his arms.

"I see you're still here..."

"Well, no duh!" Sonic huffed, suddenly filled with annoyance as he walked toward the other. "You impersonated me and I had to deal with all of the consequences!"

Shadow scowled. "I never impersonated you, those humans are simply too stupid to tell us apart."

The blue teen rolled his eyes. "Whatever! You're still at fault because you let them continue believing that!"

"I told you to leave, and you didn't listen. I'm not the one at fault, you're just too stubborn for answers."

"Well, can you just stop for a second to explain to me what's going on? You're acting like such a...a faker!"

Shadow paused and his head tilted to the side while his corners of his lips turned downwards, disapprovingly. Really? Faker? Of all the insults...it was like he was drunk all over again. Still, it offended him to be called that. He was the Ultimate Lifeform, but the teen before him was an enigma whose very existence defied his creator's teachings. "Me? A faker? Maybe _you're_ the fake one around here."

"Excuse me?" The blue Mobian felt his pitch rise.

"You're comparing yourself to me?" He scoffed, his pride getting the better of him. "You're not even good enough to be my fake."

Sonic stared at him with disbelief as he felt an ache in his heart. "What the hell are you talking about? What's wrong with you, Shadow?" He shook his head. "This isn't you, I _know_ it isn't you. I don't understand why you're being such a jerk…"

The darker hybrid's eyes softened their cold gaze for a split moment as his mouth opened on its own as though he wanted to speak, but couldn't say the words.

"Please, stop...I can help you."

Had this been about him, those words may have been enough to make him reach out to the other and apologize...but this wasn't. For that reason, he was fine. He didn't need help, he just needed to carry out her will. He promised her revenge, and he would stop at nothing to grant it. It was all about her, his own happiness could be damned as long as she got what she had been denied so long ago...and yet, this blue mystery still found a way to remind him so much of her.

"Last chance for you to back out." He found himself saying. "After this, I'll have no choice but to fight you. I will not let you get in my way of my plans."

Sonic stared at him defiantly. "I'm not leaving you. Fight me all you want, I will get to the bottom of this. I _will_ help you, even if I have to risk my life for it."

The older Mobian cursed under his breath as his fists clenched. He hadn't wanted it to end up this way, but the other's annoying nature left him no choice.

"Fine, then allow me to show you what you're getting yourself into."

He lunged at the teen below him, who managed to dodge the blow only barely as he rolled out of the way. As the darker Mobian landed on the balls of his feet on the firm soil, he swung his legs, knocking the younger teen off balance struck his ankle. Shadow got up and approached him, his eyes narrowed as he saw the boy get on his hands and knees.

"Do you give up yet? You have no chance in stopping me." He taunted as he drew closer.

"I won't give up." The blue teen gasped as his arm with patches of dirt sticking to his sweaty skin reached into his sweatpants pocket. Red eyes widened as he saw a glowing ring be clasped into a fist and absorbed into the other.

oOo

"Tails," Amy ran towards her little brother with a worried expression. "When do you think Sonic will be back?"

The blond shrugged as he focused on the tablet he had inserted into his Cyclone, skimming through the text of information quickly. "It seems that Eggman is here for the Emeralds. There's been four sealed inside a vault on the other side of the island."

The pink hybrid frowned. "Then we should get them, right? With that yellow one you got, we'd have five!"

The blond rubbed his chin in deep thought as he switched programs to view the security cams. He repeatedly swiped the screen to view the different areas being recorded. "I can't seem to find it. I'm guessing some of these cameras were destroyed by an intruder." He passed the static screens onto ones that were actually functioning. He stopped when something familiar caught his eye.

In the armory, there was a small device attached to a cage holding explosives. He instantly recognized it. It was the same as the one Eggman had launched into the city the day before after Sonic had been captured a second time. The _bomb_ he had disarmed. It had a timer for less than five minutes. He desperately swiped the image, only to notice more of the devices spread throughout the entire island. Despite being a great hacker, there was no possible way he could get to them all in time.

"Hey, are you okay? Tails?" Amy asked after noticing the panicked look on the fox hybrid.

He turned to her. "We need to find Sonic and leave!"

"But what about the Emeralds?" She felt herself become nervous at his desperate tone of voice.

He shook his head. "In four minutes, this island will be gone."

Her jade eyes widened as she watched the Cyclone transform back into the Tornado. She immediately understood the gravity of situation they were in.

oOo

The two were panting; Sonic was hunched over with his hands on his knees and his face looking straight into the turf beneath him, while Shadow's eyes were closed as he focused on his breathing. He opened his ruby eyes and stared at the blue Mobian before him, curiously, frowning as he thought to himself.

' _Who is he, really?_ What _is he? He shouldn't exist...how can he possess so much strength...he's tougher than I gave him credit for, not to mention his potential in controlling chaos…'_

Sonic looked up at Shadow, his emerald eyes glaring at the darker Mobian. The other merely watched him with an expression that bordered between skepticism and fascination.

"Try all you want, I will...I will hel-"

" _Shadow! Get back here right now before this whole island blows up with you on it!_ "

His eyes widened in alarm as they desperately flickered between Shadow's transceiver and the other hybrid himself. "Blows up!?"

The darker Mobian glanced from his wrist to Sonic, eyes widening and heart pounding.

"Shadow, I-shoot! The kids!"

The other hybrid sent him one last worried look before running into the forest, leaving him on his own. He shook his head, as much as he wanted to chase Shadow, he needed to protect his family first.

With all his speed, he ran in the opposite direction.

oOo

Rouge stared at the timer anxiously; she had ten seconds remaining before her death. Her heart rate was accelerating, her mind reeling. She never finished her mission, never got to finish her treasure hunting, never told a certain hot-head her feelings for him…

Well, at least she had these Chaos Emeralds with her in her final moments.

"Chaos Control!"

Her head whipped around to face the voice; she watched as a black blur ran towards her. She was swept off her feet before being enveloped in a bright white light.

She didn't even have a chance to blink before realizing what had transpired.

Thirty minutes after being saved from death, she wandered the halls of the ARK in search of her savior. She let her intuition lead her, and soon enough, she found the hedgehog hybrid on his own in a large circular room with a wide window that had the most beautiful view of Mobius. She walked up to him, noticing how he didn't at all seem to pay attention to the sound of her heels clicking as she moved.

Her aqua eyes observed him as he gazed at the planet pensively. His eyes were hazy, as though he were in a memory.

"Why so melancholy?" She asked curiously, watching as crimson eyes cleared and shifted onto her. She looked out the window with a small smile on her face. "Just as I thought it was the end of the line, you saved me. Thank you, Shadow. Your ability to Chaos Control certainly comes in handy."

"I didn't come to save you, I came for the Emeralds." He replied snarkily.

Rouge felt a smirk grow on her face as she saw right through his denial. "Yeah, yeah. But then again, that's not the whole story, is it?"

Eggman coughed loudly as he entered the room to gain the attention of the two Mobians. "Everything is ready to go!" He announced proudly.

The white-haired hybrid turned around, confused. "Are you sure? Last I checked, we only had six of the Emeralds, not seven."

Shadow pulled out his green emerald with an unreadable expression as he walked towards the door. "That's more than enough for the demonstration. Let's get this over with."

oOo

During the flight to Station Square, Tails had explained to Sonic how he managed to get the yellow Chaos Emerald while he had been locked away in prison. It was an award from the city after his valiant sacrifice to save them all.

The blue teen had been so impressed that he he couldn't even muster the strength to reprimand the other for getting into a dangerous situation. The blond was smart and could handle himself; to see his little brother finally become confident in his abilities made his heart swell with pride.

The fox hybrid dropped him and Amy off in a desolate part of Station Square so he could go back to his workshop and finish up on an important project he had been working on. Judging by his antsy behavior, the blue teen figured it was very important and let the boy go without question.

Shortly after Tails left, it began to pour in their beautiful, tropical city. The two hybrids ran into a nearby convenience store and bought cheap, dark-colored rain ponchos and put them on quickly before anybody could notice the convicted blue Mobian.

Together, the two hedgehog hybrids walks down the festive streets with their hoods donned so they wouldn't be notice. The cops and robots on patrol assumed they were just normal civilians as they walked by.

"Did you hear? Prison Island blew up just a while ago!"

"What? No way!"

"I bet that Mobian boy was involved. He's been quite the delinquent lately."

"Well, he is an animal. We should've known better than to put our trust in one of _them_."

He remembered the adrenaline rush he faced as they took off the doomed island. It had only been seconds later when a series of explosions had gone off and destroyed everything. That time had definitely been a close call.

But the kids were safe, and Amy was contently walking beside him with his hand in hers.

He let out a heavy sigh as he walked through the heavy crowd of people doing their Christmas shopping. All he wanted to do was go home and relax, yet all this stuff was going on and he was sucked into all of it.

' _He warned you. He told you to get out when you had the chance, and you didn't listen_.' He pouted. ' _But I can't just leave him. He needs my help. I've seen that pain in his eyes before...he's been lonely this whole time...but I can save him. I know I can. He's just confused._ '

He could deal with the disguise, the terrible weather, the crowds, being treated as some lowlife criminal. He could deal with it all if in the end he helped Shadow.

Suddenly, the duo heard a familiar cackle echo throughout the plaza they were strolling through.

They looked at the huge digital billboard in the center of Station Square and immediately jumped in surprise when they saw none other than Eggman. "Citizens of Mobius, lend your ears to me!" He began, smiling maliciously. Other pedestrians stopped what they were doing to pay attention. "I am Doctor Eggman, the world's greatest scientist, and soon I will become the ruler of the greatest empire of all time." Sonic and Amy both scoped their surroundings, noticing the flow of shoppers cease altogether as a massive crowd stopped to watch. The video of Eggman was being shown on every digital media available, from electronics displayed in shop windows to cell phones and tablets. People were bewildered that the doctor had been able to hack into their personal devices.

There was a loud boom and everybody immediately searched into the rainy night sky for the source; the ARK had been reactivated, the lower half had completely blown off, revealing a structure that bared a resemblance to Eggman's face. The tip of his nose glowed blue, only to widen as it opened, creating a large glowing orb.

A beam appeared, aiming directly at the moon.

Amy screamed, along with many others, and grabbed onto her older brother as they both watched half of the moon shatter into pieces as it was blown away into the endless void that was space. It was heartbreaking to see something that was so pure, so consistent, be desecrated in such a way. Sonic could remember the nights he couldn't sleep, how he would lay outside and just gaze at the moon as it's glow lulled him into a peaceful state. It would never be able to do that again...

He was alarmed by the power Eggman had. To use that weapon on Mobius would not only destroy something beautiful, but would destroy _lives_. He couldn't let the old man get away with that.

...Was this why Shadow warned him to leave?

The mad scientist laughed psychotically, and the blue teen glanced back at the screen, noticing that it had changed into a timer.

"That came from my Eclipse Cannon! If you don't surrender to my empire within twenty-four hours, I'll blow this planet away!"

23 hours, 58 minutes, 36 seconds.

The pink-haired preteen buried her face into his chest as she trembled. "Sonic, he can't do that. He _can't_. It's not _right._ "

He squeezed her gently, before creating a small space between them, holding her arms for support and having her look into his sincere eyes. "I know, Amy. He _won't_."

oOo

Tails frowned as he stared at the two Emeralds in his hands; the yellow one that shined brightly, and the other that was very dull in comparison.

He let out a heavy sigh as he walked out of his workshop in Mystic Ruins and got into his Tornado, inserting the bright gem into his machine while placing the dull one into his satchel.

Blue eyes stared at the broken moon with determination.

"You won't get away with this, Eggman." He narrowed his eyes. "When I find Sonic, he'll stop you!"

He started the Tornado and took off.

oOo

Rouge let out a laugh. "You blew up the moon and now you're both sulking? Am I missing something? Isn't the world supposed to be under our control by now?"

Shadow scowled at her before facing the Doctor. "At this rate, the cannon will need more power to charge up. If you want it to reach its full potential, you'll need all seven Chaos Emeralds."

"And where in the world have you been?" Eggman yelled at the bat hybrid, who tried her best to stifle a smirk.

"Something happen?" She said with feigned innocence.

"Our threats fell on deaf ears." The other Mobian crossed his arms as he glared at the machine.

"How embarrassing! You two are throwing tantrums like small children!"

"And you? You promised me the Emeralds, so where is the last one? Didn't we have a deal?" Eggman huffed.

"My, my, aren't you impatient." Rouge teased as she fiddled around with the buttons on the transmitter on her wrist. A hologram of a news report appeared from it. "See? I've been doing my part just fine."

"Why didn't you show me this before?" Eggman scolded her as he read the headline.

'MOBIAN MILES PROWER GIVEN CHAOS EMERALD.'

She shrugged. "I suppose I got distracted during the mission where we were on an island that was about to _explode_. Oops, my bad."

The Doctor huffed before reading the smaller text. "Station Square saved from a life-threatening missile attack sent by the notorious Doctor Eggmam. For his bravery, the city has awarded its most prized possession to a Mobian fox-hybrid by the name Miles Prower...Miles Prower? That boy from my old science class?"

Rouge hummed. "You must remember the boy from more than just that? Surely, you do."

"Of course, he was tagging along Sonic when the brat was interfering with my plans! Oh, well, at least this makes it easier for me to locate." His eyes darted between the two Mobians. "Hurry, and bring that Emerald back to me."

The white-haired teen glanced at Shadow. "You ready?"

The darker Mobian closed his eyes. "Soon enough, Maria." He whispered softly to himself before passing her and following Eggman out of the room.

She paused, watching his retreating back with sympathetic eyes.

When the door closed, she instantly brought her transmitter close to her face. "This is Rouge reporting. I still do not have enough information to tell whether or not Shadow is the Ultimate Lifeform. I will be continuing my research on Project Shadow and have a follow-up report shortly." She smiled widely. "Oh, and Topaz? Can you do me a favor and pinpoint the location of high Chaos Energy? There's something I need to find..."

oOo

"For some reason, I'm not getting any signal from the other Emeralds!" Tails explained to Sonic as the other relaxed on the couch, despite the fact that he currently had to deal with two young girls clinging onto him after seeing the news, sobbing into his side. He didn't blame them, everyone was devastated that the moon had been partially destroyed. The girls were especially heartbroken, as they despaired over how hurt the poor Luna was.

Silver and Blaze were there too, standing behind the couch and glaring at the TV.

Amy and Sonic were the only two in the group to have seen the moon blow up with their own eyes. The preteen knit her brows together while leaning against the kitchen counter as she thought of a possibility to her little brother's exclamation.

"Do you think he brought them into outer space?" She suggested.

Tails looked at her with surprise before pursing his lips. "I guess he must've." With that said, he ran into the boy's bedroom, back to his underground lab.

Amy sighed while she turned her attention back to the oven to check on the cookies she was baking. They were done, so she pulled them out and set the cookie sheet on the stove. She figured it would be nice for everyone to have a treat to lighten the mood, and baking always calmed her nerves.

Sonic ran his fingers through Cream's hair and frowned. He was still a convict according to the news. It had been pure luck that he managed to sneak back onto school grounds without being detected.

Everyone jumped as the door suddenly opened; the blue teen almost panicked, thinking that GUN had found him. He was _so_ not willing to go back to prison. Not when he needed to rest a little before finding a way into outer space. He didn't even have the slightest clue on how he would pull that one off.

Fortunately for him, it was only Knuckles, who was carrying a large bag on his back. "Hey, guys! Long time no see! Thought you'd all be here."

"Geez, Knux, you scared the living daylights out of me." Sonic groaned. "What's up?"

"I've almost found all the pieces of the Emerald, but I'm thinking Eggman must've found a couple and taken them with him. I'm hoping you guys know a way to get to his base?"

"Nope. Join the club."

"Sonic!" Tails ran out of the bedroom. "I've managed to find some transcripts between Eggman and the President after hacking into the government's database!" He raised the tablet in his hands. "I'm actually tracking the President's limo right now!" He tapped the screen a couple of times. "I bet if we follow the limo, it'll lead us to Eggman. After all, he should have a base on Mobius that takes him to the ARK, right? How else would he be able to go back and forth so easily?"

"That's actually...a really great idea!" Sonic smiled as he carefully got up. He looked at Blaze and Silver. I'm counting on you two to take care of the girls while the rest of us head out. Can you guys do that?"

Blaze nodded, after noticing her friend's hesitance she placed a hand on his shoulder. "This isn't your battle, Silver. We weren't involved when it began, we'd just get in the way." She looked at Sonic. "Should you need us though, just contact us and we'll come immediately to back you up."

The blue Mobian nodded gratefully before rushing out the door with Tails and Knuckles in tow.

"Enjoy the cookies!" Amy called out as she ran after the others before shutting the door behind her. Like hell was she going to let the boys have all the fun without her. Not this time.

oOo

The President heaved a heavy sigh as he rubbed his temple, mentally processing the information the doctor had oh-so-graciously shared to him while he road in the back of his limo down the streets of Station Square.

"All you have to do, sir, is surrender the United Federation territory to me, otherwise…"

"...Otherwise…"

"Otherwise your country will cease to exist!" Eggman smirked. "That timer is counting down. You only have 21 more hours to give me your response."

"-No way!"

The elderly Overlander looked out his window to see the blue hybrid running alongside his limo, a wide grin etched on his face. With a quick jump, the Mobian got onto the vehicle and slipped himself through the open sunroof.

Sonic faced the digital version of Eggman displayed on the monitor. "Eggman Empire? Really? What a joke."

Tails jumped into the vehicle shortly afterwards, and immediately began tinkering with the electronics by the television.

"What the hell is going on?" The President stared at the Mobian who should've been in prison.

"Don't worry, sir!" The teen smiled at him. "Everything is under control, just leave it to us!" He turned towards his little brother. "Got it, Tails?"

The boy showed him a small chip that was pinched between his index finger and thumb. "Yes! He's transmitting from the ARK, and there's some other coordinates here! That must be his secret base!"

"Nice!" Sonic turned back to the President and gave him a polite salute. "Nice seeing you again, sir!"

"Hey, wait!"

The two Mobians were gone in the blink of an eye.

The President sighed solemnly, "Might as well let the kid go if it's gonna end up like this."

"Sir," his secretary beside him, a young woman with sun-kissed skin and light brown hair, began as she adjusted her glasses. "Our other two agents have new information concerning the men who kept the incident aboard the ARK a secret."

"Let us hear it then."

oOo

" _Shadow! Sonic and Tails should be in that blue plane_!"

"Alright, I'm in pursuit."

"... _You know, they don't see you as an enemy. Are you sure you want to go through with this_?"

Shadow paused. Did he really want to fight them? He clenched his empty hand repeatedly, scowling as he felt frustration overcome him. First that bat tricked him into spending time with the kid, now she was intent on making him question himself. Had he not followed her advice, he would've avoided this predicament. Every time he tried to focus on _her_ , he would start seeing _him_. Why did they have to be so similar? To be so kind and loving. So warm. He hated it. He hated that he actually enjoyed the other's presence, that he was filled with so much anguish every time those emerald eyes looked at him with that hurt expression. He couldn't stand it. It was tearing him apart. On one side, he knew he had a promise to fulfill, a purpose for being alive. On the other, he found somebody that made him as happy as she once did...

He was doing it again. He was being selfish. It wasn't about his happiness, he reminded himself. It was about hers.

He tried to justify himself by remembering how he told that blue Mobian numerous times to take his family and leave. If any of them got hurt, that was their own problem. Yet even so, he couldn't shake off the terrible remorse that consumed him.

His red eyes averted their gaze as he groaned. "I'm headed back to the ARK. No doubt they'll end up there with the Emerald."

He pretended not to hear the content hum Rouge replied with.

oOo

"...Tails, are you sure this is Eggman's base?" Sonic asked uneasily as he examined the pyramid in the uninhabited desert.

The blond nodded. "The coordinates led us here. If not here, then where else?"

Knuckles crossed his arms. "You can't argue with that. This is our best bet."

"I dunno, I just have that feeling we should be careful with the ruins or Mr. Stewart will fail us for the year. Tread carefully, Knux. I know your grade can't risk it."

"Can you shut up?" The redhead raised his voice as his cheeks tinted pink. It wasn't like he was dumb in the class, he was actually very knowledgeable in things they were learning. He just never did the work.

The blue Mobian chuckled. "Well, let's try figuring out how to get in that thing. I need to destroy that cannon and then have a talk with a certain someone. You know, assuming he doesn't try to knock me unconscious the moment I open my mouth."

Amy whipped her head around with a horrified expression. "He wouldn't!"

"Well, with the way he's been acting, who knows what to expect from him."

She furrowed her brows while the redhead cracked his knuckles. "If he becomes a problem, you have me to help put him in his place."

The blue teen shook his head. "No, I can handle him on my own. I'll only fight back in self-defense if it comes down to it. I have to help him."

"Help him?" Tails raised a brow. "But he framed you and is working with Eggman…"

"I know, and _technically_ he didn't frame me…but I know something isn't right with him. I'm sure if I can just find a way to get through to him and get him to talk to me, then.."

"I think you're right." Amy nodded. "From what I've seen, this isn't like him at all. He saved me from falling during Halloween, and he tried to save you too. There's gotta be good in him somewhere."

Sonic smiled after hearing her agree with him.

"So you think Eggman is misleading him?" Tails asked with a raised brow.

"They're related, so there might be some kind of family business going on that we don't know the whole story about." The blue Mobian explained.

"What?" The pink Mobian's face contorted into disgust. "How can somebody like Shadow be related to someone like Eggman?" She seemed genuinely disturbed. "Like, he's so handsome and then Eggman is so...bleh."

Knuckles was nonplussed as he rubbed his temple. "Well, crap. I honestly have no idea on what to do with this information."

Sonic paused as he remembered the sepia-toned photograph he had seen on two separate occasions. He didn't know why, but for some reason it seemed to resonate with him. Did Eggman's grandfather have anything to do with this? "We need to get moving. There's a timer going on and we need to beat it."

"Right," his older brother nodded while watching the pink Mobian with an amused expression; she was still in shock after the revelation, which was evident by how she covered her face and shook her head, trying to get the image out of her mind.

"Well, since I'm the one with the machine I'll go find the entrance." Tails told them as he moved forward in his Cyclone.

"Alright, Tails. The rest of us will be right behind you."

oOo

Inside the temple, Sonic beamed as the family stopped just before a beautiful, metallic door designed with intricate symbols meant to mimic hieroglyphics.

"See? And you guys doubted me before. There's _always_ a secret passageway!"

"Give it up, Sonic!" Amy laughed. "You and your obsession with ancient temples is insane!"

"You guys just don't want to admit that I was right all along!" The blue teen sang. "I was right with Mystic Ruins, and I was right about this pyramid. Best part? No water puzzles."

"Yeah, but now we're stuck in here and there's no way to open this door!"

"Actually, it's just locked, Amy." Tails said after inspecting the door. "We need to find the key."

"No problem! We get to hang out here while Knuckles gets it for us."

"What? Why do I have to get it?" The echidna hybrid frowned.

"Well, because you're the world's greatest treasure hunter, duuuh." Sonic snickered. "We're counting on you."

"I hate you."

"Love you, too."

The three watched as the redhead turned and left with an annoyed expression on his face. Tails immediately began typing on his tablet while the two hedgehog hybrids sat themselves against the door and played "Would You Rather."

After a few minutes, the blond raised his head. "There's a shuttle in this base."

Sonic turned his head just before he could answer Amy's recent question. "A shuttle?"

The kit nodded. "We can use it to get to the ARK. It's just on the other side of this door."

"Sweet! Now we just need to wait for that slowpoke to get here-"

A loud yell cut him off. The trio directed their attention to the source of the sound, only to see the redhead running towards them with a panicked expression on his face. The loud booming following the other was extremely alarming, as Sonic and Amy got to their feet and Tails readied his Cyclone for battle.

"Where's the key?" The blue teen raised a brow as the echidna got closer.

"Screw the key, we've got bigger issues!"

"What?" The younger teen scowled. "You had _one_ job, Knux-"

"Did you insufferable brats honestly think you could get out of here alive?" The four Mobians turned to see none other than Eggman in a machine very much like Tails' Cyclone. Since when did his Mobile have legs?

"Insufferable brats? Please, I cleaned tables for you. You should appreciate me more."

Eggman scowled. "This time I will take your lives as well as the Chaos Emerald."

"Oh, wow. Are you threatening us?" Sonic laughed sardonically. "Oh, Eggie, you _really_ don't want to do that."

The other three Mobians became very uneasy when they watched a twisted grin grow on the Overlander's face. "Oh, don't I?" The Doctor backed himself against the wall. "Egg Golem, finish them!"

The Golem emerged from the shadows, revealing itself to be massive in size. Its head resembled a pharaoh's, but its build was nothing but boulders put together as though a child had created it.

"Well, Knux. I see what you mean by bigger issues."

"I told you!"

The Golem was slow enough for Sonic to predict it's moves. It's raised leg alerted him that it aimed to attack, quickly he swooped Amy off her feet and jumped out of the way while Tails and Knuckles ran in the opposite direction. With all of its force, it kicked, resulting in the door to dent before following over as a piece of scrap, though bits of rubble from the surrounding stone had crumbled as well.

"There's your key!" He heard his older brother yell at him from across the room.

He chuckled as he let go of the preteen and ran around the Golem to distract it from his family. The echidna took the opportunity to help the younger kids get through the doorway safely before joining his brother in taking down the boss.

Sonic stood in place as he waited for the Golem to attack- slowly. It raised its fist, alerting the blue teen of its next move, before crashing its hand against the stone terrain, creating a small crater that its arm was confined to and rendering itself temporarily immobile. The hybrid wiped debris off his sweatpants as he got off the ground, having rolled out the way shortly before the stone pharaoh made impact. Knuckles ran to him, grabbing his arms and swinging him around before letting go and sending him sailing towards its massive head. He landed a powerful kick on its headdress then planted his feet on the beings shoulder. As he turned to observe the creature, he realized he had exposed a suspicious looking blue button at the top of it's head. He crouched to support himself as the Golem dislodged its arm from the floor and stood up straight. Though his legs were slightly wobbly on the uneven platform, he managed to run up what would be considered its clavicle and leaped, his hands pressing the button with all his body-weight shortly before his arms extended to push him off, his body doing a front flip as he fell back to the ground.

"Sonic, you fool! You destroyed the restraining mechanis-Ah!"

His brother pushed him against the wall as giant stone soles sent tremors throughout the base and nearly trampled him. The blue teen watched as the Golem chased the evil scientist away, leaving them alone.

"Thanks," Sonic chuckled as he backed away from his brother, who had been holding him protectively. "Before I forget, nice key."

The redhead grinned as he punched the other lightly in the arm. "Smartass."

oOo

"Oh, they escaped? Can you tell me how that happened?" Rouge teased Eggman from her transmitter. "Well, I suppose it doesn't matter. I'll just go after them myself. Oh, but before I do that, can you tell me the password for the space colony control? …..Thanks, love." She hung up, and smiled to herself.

"Well, if I knew tricking that old man was so easy I would've outright asked him to tell me all his plans!" She walked towards the control mechanism and began typing.

M-A-R-I-A.

She paused after seeing the word typed before her. Maria? The name Shadow constantly would mutter to himself when he thought no one was listening? She was a bat hybrid, so of course she would've heard with her animal-like, overly-sensitive ears. Perhaps she was an important person in the Robotnik family; though that was a personal issue that didn't involve her, as intriguing as it may be. She could pry into that later, she decided, before pressing enter.

The system was open to her and immediately she began her research.

"What the hell is this?" Rouge exclaimed as she read through files that disturbed her. "There's no way this is right...Just what is Shadow, anyway?" She blinked as she saw Sonic and his friends on the security cam in the far right corner of the screen. A smirk graced her lips when she noticed a certain redhead. So, he took the bait after all.

Well, this could be fun.

* * *

 _A/N: Has anybody realized that all the chapter titles I use are just references to something in the Sonic series? Like from episodes, to songs, to levels. And by episodes, it can be from any Sonic show. Like, I'm so bad at coming up with title ideas, that I decided to be cheeky and make my unoriginality my originality. Wow, so creative. Not. Whatever, it's just a fanfic._

 _But that devotion Sonic has towards Shadow? That's something I like to see._

 _On a side note, after getting a bunch of work on my first few days back at school and ten minutes of deeply contemplating my priorities (video games being number 1, LBR), I've decided that I'm gonna take a break from this story, a hiatus, if you will... **after** I upload either the last chapter of this arc or the chapter right after. I dunno, depends my motivation. I'm a pretty impatient person, so I don't want these just sitting on my computer collecting dust as I slowly hand them out at a nice pace. Nope, that's not how I work. I will forget about them and then be like "oh crap, now I gotta catch up" and will probably hand them out all at once like how I tend to do. I am not one for organization and strategic pacing, I'm a sad excuse for a multi-chapter writer. Remember that. On a side note, this hiatus shouldn't last too long. I've been very good lately about working on my rough drafts for the rest of the story, and I have a strong idea on where it's headed. Since this arc basically stops right before New Years, I figure that it's a good place to stop. Got four months down, around 6 still left to go. At least 6. I dunno, maybe more. Not less. _

_**TLDR**_ _: In a chapter or two that probably will be released by the end of the week or next, I'll be taking a break. Whether anyone likes this story or not, I vowed many years ago that I would complete it, so I will. If you don't see me post in a few months, just assume I died or something. I need the time to work on my the second half of the school year...and prepare for Sonic's 25th anniversary (hopefully it'll be a great game, but either way I'll still gonna play it religiously)...hehe. Priorities._

 _Please review, reuse, and recycle folks._


	14. Live and Learn

_A/N: When chapters are long because so much happens. Sigh. I'm so sorry._

* * *

 _ **Chapter 14: Live and Learn**_

Sonic and the kids clutched onto their hearts and took deep breaths as they attempted to recover from their near-death experience. Tails had been the original pilot of the shuttle that brought them to the ARK, but after sensing the Master Emerald's energy, a certain somebody got a little...excited.

It was now an unspoken rule between the three that the echidna hybrid would never be allowed to take control of a vehicle ever again.

"Well, that was a thing!" Sonic huffed after being the first to calm down.

"Where did he even go?" Amy looked around for the redhead, only to find him nowhere in sight.

"I guess he bailed." Tails pursed his lips.

"Idiot." The blue teen rolled his eyes.

"That just means we have to move on without him." The pink Mobian shrugged before cringing in disgust. "Ugh, this place is so dusty! It's like it's been deserted!"

"Well, it was shut down fifty years ago because of some sort of accident. The first Bernoulli spherical space colony, called ARK," He announced proudly before observing his surroundings and becoming disheartened. "This used to be the most advanced research center of its kind, but now that I look at it…"

"Yeah, it looks like crap. I know you couldn't bring yourself to say it, so I said it for you."

"Thanks, Amy."

Sonic chuckled at the conversation between his two siblings before sighing gently as reality came back to him. If only every part of the adventure could be as fun as the last couple of hours. "There's not much time left before that weapon fires again, so we better get moving."

"Right." Tails began pressing buttons on his tablet. "Wow, that cannon was designed to be impenetrable from outside attacks." Sonic and Amy both got onto the Cyclone and peered at the screen from over his shoulder, examining the map that was displayed. "It's defense shields are super strong, so our best bet would be to find some way to destroy it from the inside." The blond pulled a dull gem out of his satchel.

"Wait, what happened to your emerald?" Amy stared at him confused while he handed it to her.

"It looks real, right? The actual yellow Emerald is stored within the Cyclone. This is a fake one I created after doing some research on the real one. It has the same wavelength and properties, but isn't as powerful. It's designed to reverse the energy field inside the Chaos Emeralds and blow up. It's so realistic that even a machine can't tell which is which. " After inspecting it, the pink hybrid gave the gem back to her little brother who then handed it to Sonic. "I'll find the power supply and destroy it while you find the control room, okay?"

"Yeah, okay, so let me get this straight. We're gonna switch the Emeralds when the machine stops, right?" Tails nodded as he gave the other a handheld transceiver. "Alright, sounds good to me!" Sonic ruffled his younger brother's hair before jumping off the Cyclone and slipping the device into his pants pocket. "Amy, you stay here and stay safe, ok?"

The preteen huffed as she pushed herself off, a bit annoyed she wasn't a part of the plan. "Ugh, you two! You guys always leave me behind and have all the fun!" She crossed her arms as she watched the boys leave, a scowl on her face. The blue teen turned around and shrugged, but his expression wasn't sympathetic at all.

There was no way she would just sit around and let boredom be the death of her. The moment that door closed behind the boys, she would go off and explore the colony.

oOo

The white-haired bat moved stealthily as she trailed after the echidna hybrid. What exactly was he doing? Why wasn't he with the others?

 _Oh_.

She smirked as he found a shard of the Master Emerald in one of her hiding spots. So, it seems as though her idea to lure him _did_ work. She felt that it was about time to reveal herself to the unsuspecting redhead.

She landed on the ground gracefully, her heels making a satisfying click that alerted the other of her presence. The redhead turned, tensely, before furrowing his brows.

"Rouge? What the hell? What are you doing here?"

"Hello, love." She waved innocently. "I'm glad to find you locating my shards with ease. Perhaps I should've made it a little more challenging, though?"

" _Your_ shards?"

She placed a hand on her hip. "You know what I mean. When they're under my care, I will refer to them as mine. I think I should keep one for being such a great caretaker. I'm not sure if the doctor is even aware that I brought them here."

"What are you talking about? You were the one that stole them?"

The bat raised her hands defensively. "I didn't _steal_ them, surprisingly. Let's just say that they are all part of my plan."

"Your plan?" He narrowed his eyes. "Why are you here? Why are you helping Eggman? I thought you worked for GUN?"

"That's confidential, you on the other hand..." She crossed her arms confidently. "You're here because you want the rest of the pieces. Would you have come had I not taken them?" Her eyes noticed the way his indigo averted their gaze. "I believe that gem of yours may become important in stopping all of this."

"So...you're conspiring against Eggman?"

"Of course, but that doesn't mean I'm just going to hand them over to you."

"Why?"

The bat smirked. "I have a cover I need to keep and the doctor expects me to take you down. So, be a dear and let me stall you, just for the sake of appearances."

"What? We don't have time for this, just give me the ones you're hiding."

"You must understand that I haven't completed my mission yet. I'm not going down unless you fight me for them. I've worked too hard to get here, I won't risk losing Eggman's trust when I've already gotten this far."

"Rouge, this is important! I'm not going to fight you-"

She chuckled as she got into an offensive position. "Then at least take the time to entertain me."

She made the first move by running towards him, gaining momentum before she slid on the ground on one knee while her other leg was extended, aimed right towards his ankle. He was knocked off balance, landing straight onto his side at an angle where his head was hung over the side of the metal beam. He wearily stared into the lava as he got up and tightened his grip on the bag on his back as she gracefully pivoted behind him and stood with a grin. He growled, then jumped onto his legs and rushed to grab her, only for her to quickly avoid him with a backflip. It continued with the echidna repeatedly trying to get a hold on his crush while she narrowly avoided his advances. Their little game of tag droned on until she decided she was bored, and gave up.

She was tired, and he was tired. Their gasps for air was enough to let them both know that. She decided she had stalled for long enough. Her aqua eyes glanced at him appreciatively while he glared at her.

"Stop fooling around and give me those shards!" He ordered.

She sighed. "Alright, alright. I'll get them." She turned on her heel, not at all suspecting that the narrow piece of metal would be worn down after a small, playful encounter. As she stode on, a part of the rail collapsed, much too quickly for her to process what was happening. Her wings weren't even fully opened by the time she felt the intense heat barely brush against the underside of her foot. The pit of molten rock was too close to her.

She snapped out of her shock when she felt warm hands grab onto hers. Her eyes darted upwards and saw Knuckles holding onto the bar with one hand as his other held onto her strongly. He heaved himself up and then lifted her up onto a stable part of the rail.

"What just-?" She was confused. "But we were only messing around!"

"This space colony is definitely showing it's age. It hasn't had a good maintenance check in years."

'Right," she nodded. "It was silly of me to not expect that. With all the research I put in, I should've known better." Her lip curled into a frown, disappointed in her carelessness. She wasn't the girl she used to be, she was smarter than that. Spending too much time with her peers was starting to affect her.

"It's fine, don't beat yourself up over it."

She brushed away her thoughts and smirked at him. "I should say thanks, but I already feel as though I've softened up too much recently."

"You can just, you know, get me the shards. That'll work."

"Of course! We have the same priorities, maybe that's why I like you so much. You understand me." She let out a small laugh.

"W-what-!" She flew off while he was flustered, returning a few minutes later with the rest of the pieces in her arms. She landed on the platform and extended her elbows. "Here you go, the last of them."

"Now I can say 'you're welcome'."

She stifled a smirk as she put her hands behind her back, watching as the echidna opened his bag and put all the pieces together by concentrating on its energy. The pieces levitated before fixing themselves like a puzzle, moving on their own magically by some strange force their species would never be able to fully comprehend. The Master Emerald was restored, and Rouge felt herself become overwhelmed by its beauty.

Knuckles kicked his bag off the rail, letting it fall into lava as he heaved the Emerald onto his back. He looked at the bat hybrid. "I guess I'll see you soon."

She smirked as she walked towards him, leaning over to plant a quick peck on his cheek. She couldn't help herself, she was still a teenage girl at her core. As she backed away, her eyes noticed the way he tensed while his bronzed face became a bright red. She placed a hand on her hip and sent him a wink. "We should get going." She watched as he regained his composure and shakily nod, before quickly retreating with the emerald.

That confrontation couldn't have gone any better.

oOo

"Energy readings from two different Emeralds? Did they really think the could trick me by using a fake?" Eggman scowled.

Shadow turned to leave, only to be stopped by the Doctor himself.

"Wait, I should be the one to tell them the end is near, not you. It's time for me to make my claim as the ultimate genius!" He passed the other while in his Mobile. "Should something happen to me, I'm counting on you to finish the job." He walked into a teleporter that would take him to the ARK. "It's now or never!"

The darker Mobian furrowed his brows before following after.

oOo

"Ugh, I hate boys! They think they can do all the cool stuff! Well, guess what? I deserve to do some cool stuff too!" Amy ranted to herself as she couldn't find anyone else to listen to her. "Totally unfair! Why, when I see them, I'm going to-Ah!" She spun around as she paced, only to find Eggman watching her with a malignant gleam in his eyes. "Doctor Eggman?"

"Well, young lady, if you value your life then tell me where those half-rodents went off to!"

oOo

Sonic entered the control room and walked up to the cannon. "Okay, Tails, I'm here."

" _Alright, now insert the Emerald into_ -"

" _Tails, tell Sonic to meet you back at the research facility! Now!_ "

"Eggman?" The blue teen narrowed his eyes. "Hey, tell him to stop butting in!"

" _Sonic! This is bad! Eggman has Amy held hostage!_ "

"What!?"

The call went silent, and the Mobian stared at the gem in his hands for a moment. He felt his grip around it tighten, and he glowered.

Would that egghead stop complicating things for a second to realize what he was doing?

oOo

The blue Mobian sauntered into the room and was instantly met with Tails, Eggman, and a guilt-ridden Amy.

"Alright, Sonic. Let's take care of business, shall we?" The Doctor began, straight to the point, for once. "Hand over the Chaos Emerald slowly and then we'll talk about your girlfriend, that is, if you truly care for her."

He frowned, placing a hand on his hip as he tossed the Emerald and caught it several times. Why was he always assumed to be in a relationship with someone? If it wasn't Knuckles, then it was Amy. Whatever.

' _If I hand this fake Emerald over, that should kill two birds with one stone, right_?' He pursed his lips to make it look like he was actually considering the proposition. He shot a glance towards Tails, who was subtly nodding at him, before redirecting his attention to Eggman.

"Put the Emerald down right there and back off."

"Here?"

"No, in the center of the room, you brat!"

"Oh, okay, I got you." The teen smirked. "My, you've turned into quite the villain, Doctor." He teased as he moved forward. Before he realized what happened, he was encased in glass. He blinked in surprise before banging on the glass with his fists, only to freeze when it didn't vibrate under his force in the slightest. "What?"

"You fools actually thought you could trick me with that fake Emerald?" He could barely make out the Doctor's voice, alerting him that there was no way he could break through this material without more space to pick up speed.

"Huh? So how did you know that was the fake one?" Tails exclaimed in a panicked voice, as he previously believed his plan was foolproof

"Tails-!"

"Because you just told me, fox-boy."

The blond gawked, completely dumbfounded, while Sonic let out a small sigh as he rubbed his temple. Whatever, he couldn't blame the kid. He was just an eight-year-old, despite his intellectual brain.

"Now, have fun in space! You know, before you explode into smithereens!" Eggman laughed.

' _Does he actually plan to kill me?_ '

The blue teen gave his younger brother an earnest look. "I'm counting on you, Tails. And Amy? You take care of yourself."

"Wait, what? What are you talking about? No!" His little sister looked horrified as tears threatened to spill from her eyes.

"Farewell, Sonic the Hedgehog!"

Eggman pressed a button on his Mobile and he was instantly launched from the ARK into space. Amy ran to the window with Tails right behind her in his Cyclone.

"Sonic!" She yelled.

Within seconds, the capsule exploded.

"Farewell, Sonic, my admirable adversary." Eggman sighed while looking away.

For some reason, killing off the Mobian pest didn't seem as exciting as he hoped it would be.

oOo

"The same properties and wavelengths...I wonder…" The blue Mobian closed his eyes and focused on nothing but the gem in his hands. He thought about the time a certain hedgehog was able to teleport by saying two words.

He opened his eyes, his grip on the gem was firm. "Chaos Contr-"

oOo

Shadow watched as the capsule exploded. He closed his eyes and bit his lip, immediately feeling his stomach churn painfully.

 _No...No!_

He felt his fist make contact with the indestructible glass as he clenched his jaw.

 _Stop feeling like this! He was in the way of your goal. Stop caring about him!_

 _But, I_ can't _._

 _No matter. It's not about what you want, it's all about her. Only her. Nobody else. With him out of the picture, you can focus on you sole purpose for existing._

Sonic's smiles meant nothing. His laughter meant nothing. His beautiful emerald eyes meant _nothing_.

" _I will help you, even if I have to risk my life for it._ "

He cursed under his breath as his eyes began to sting. That fool, he should've just taken his advice and left the city while he had the chance. He had so much potential in controlling Chaos Energy, he had a family to protect, friends that loved him. Only an idiot would try saving someone who didn't need to be saved.

Yet, no matter how much he tried to console himself, he couldn't understand why his heart felt as though it were a fragile piece of glass that dropped and shattered into pieces.

He glared at Mobius, his eyes filled with intense contempt. Whatever, nothing mattered anyways. He composed himself, fists clenched as he headed towards the room's exit.

Soon enough, everyone would be dead. Yes, Sonic was gone, but now the whole planet would go with him. If she couldn't be happy, and thereby him, then neither could the world. That thought alone was enough to satisfy his desire for revenge.

Everything was going the way it was meant to.

oOo

"Now onto the real business." Eggman aimed a gun at Amy, watching as she glared at him with complete disgust while tears glistened on her cheeks. "Give me the real Emerald and I will let you both go."

"Sonic...you…" Tails murmured to himself as he was in a daze. The pink hybrid glanced at him unsurely, worried that perhaps the boy lost his mind. "He wants me to do something for him...for the first time ever...I won't let him down! I _can't_! I won't give up!"

A series of rockets were fired at the Doctor.

Amy yelped as explosives began going off from both sides, small pieces of debris stinging her arms as she covered her face. She ran through the dark smoke that blinded her to find any means of cover.

oOo

"Okay, why am I feeling some strange energy here- holy shit!" Knuckles flinched as a white light appeared before him. It dispelled as quickly as it appeared, and he examined the scene before him.

When did Sonic get here? Why was he unconscious?

"Hey, Sonic!" The redhead immediately put down the Emerald and rushed to his younger brother's side to check up on him.

The blue teen's eyes fluttered, his body moved slightly before Knuckles raised his upper half off the ground.

"Wow, I'm actually alive? I wasn't even sure if I could pull that one off..."

"What happened? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Sonic began, slowly beginning to support himself. "Eggman put me in a capsule and shot me into space where it would explode, but I used Chaos Control using a fake Emerald."

"Wait... _what_ happened?"

The hedgehog Mobian sighed, standing up slowly while his brother held on to him to make sure he didn't fall. "It's a lot to explain, it's one of those things where you just had to be there."

The echidna raised a brow. "...Uh, okay."

"Hey, I'm worried about Tails and Amy. Can you please find them and help them? I don't like the idea of them being alone with Eggman."

"Sure thing."

Sonic gazed at the fake Emerald in his hands. "I got it!" His eyes widened. "Before the cannon fires, I'll slam dunk this baby in there!" He winked at his brother. "Thanks for the help, but I need to get going!"

The red Mobian frowned as he watched the other run off. Only that kid would be able to go from completely unconscious to fully energized in a span of a couple of seconds. He huffed as he stalked back to the Master Emerald. Whatever, he had to find the kids.

oOo

"I did it, Sonic. I actually did it…" Tails muttered to himself between pants. Amy was clutching onto her chest as she tried to calm her breathing. She was sure that she had a couple of nasty bruises and small scrapes over her skin from that skirmish, not to mention the fact that her dress was partially covered in ashes. She never wanted to be in between a mecha fight ever again. _Ever_.

The blond jumped as he heard his transceiver go off. He blinked, only just realizing he had accidently turned it on near the end of his confrontation with Eggman. Timidly, his fingers began fumbling around with the radio, not sure of why it suddenly reacted. He wondered if it had been damaged during the fight, since the only person who could contact him was-

" _Awesome job, Tails! I knew you could do it!_ "

"S-Sonic!" He exclaimed with relief as tears threatened to spill from the corners of his eyes.

He was so overjoyed he didn't even realize the conniving doctor reach for the yellow Emerald that had unknowingly fallen out of his Cyclone…

oOo

"They say that when you collect all seven Emeralds, a miracle happens. So if I have six, what does that mean?" Rouge pressed a finger against her cheek. "I suppose it means that six Emeralds are all mine, and perhaps, that in itself is a miracle." She smiled warmly at the glowing gems inside the Eclipse Cannon.

"I don't think so."

She turned with a frown only to see the darker Mobian walking towards her with a glower marring his handsome face. "Shadow."

"So, that was your plan from the very beginning? Or was it a direct order from the President? Now I know what you are. You're a government spy." Shadow hissed at her; there was malice in his eyes...and _hurt_? Did he feel betrayed by her?

She was able to hide her surprise with an artificial smirk. "Ah, I see you did your homework. Too bad it meant you had to invade my privacy rather than do calc, but it is how it is."

"Shut up, as if you're one to talk."

"Well, it seems to me that you're being moody because things aren't going your way. Is that it? I suppose since my job here is done, I'll just take what's mine and leave."

"You pathetic, selfish creature!"

"Woah, excuse me, but look who's talking." The bat hybrid raised her chin up as she cocked her head to the side, eyes squinting with suspicion. "So, what about you?" She pressed a button on her transmitter so that a hologram appeared. "I've downloaded these files. They're all research on a project called 'The Ultimate Lifeform.' However, if these pictures are truly of the Ultimate Lifeform, the one they call Shadow...then exactly who, or what, is standing in front of me?"

" _Shadow_!" The other Mobian took his transceiver out of his black jacket and brought it close to his face. " _It's Doctor Eggman. I have found all seven Chaos Emeralds! Hurry, there is someone trying to get to the Eclipse Cannon. There's not much time before it fires again! Can you get over there?_ "

He hung up and gave Rouge a threatening look. "I'll spare your life as long as you leave the Emeralds as they are."

She was taken aback. "Are you serious? Do you actually believe that you're the real Shadow?"

"No doubt."

"But even your old memories...they might not be real. You realize that, don't you?"

"Even if they aren't real, it's all that I have. Especially now." He paused, suddenly feeling a very heavy weight in his heart. "And I will fulfill my promise to Maria, that's the _only_ thing left for me."

She watched as he left, feeling sympathetic towards the Mobian hybrid. She knew he couldn't see it, but she definitely could. The other was only trying to do what he felt was right, yet he seemed conflicted on whether or not it was the right thing to do.

oOo

"You never cease to surprise me, Sonic. I had thought you exploded in space."

He whipped his head around to see Shadow advancing towards him with a look that made him seem as though he was torn between relief and anger. Though his face was stoic, his emotions were evident in his crimson irises. The blue Mobian supposed that it was those eyes that allowed him to keep seeing the good in the other, even when the rest of him said otherwise.

He smirked as he began walking. "You know, what can I say? I die hard."

"It certainly has proven to be so..."

"You know, you actually saved me…" He noticed the way the other slightly raised his brow. He waved the hand that held the fake Emerald as a clue.

"I see, so you used Chaos Control. But...how? That's impossible. There's no way you could've done that with a fake." The two Mobians began jogging down the long hallway that was the interior of the cannon, only to increase their speed into a run. "I don't understand you at all. What the hell are you? Nobody but me should be capable of being a Rank S, yet here you are!"

"Well, what you see is what you get. Just a guy that loves adventure!"

Shadow scowled. "I can't let you interfere with my plans. As long as I incapacitate you, you'll no longer pose as a problem. Sorry to say, but your adventuring days are coming to an end."

They reached their full speed.

oOo

"Damn, that Shadow! He's messing up the Eclipse Cannon!" Eggman cursed as he noticed the mechanism was becoming badly damaged, most likely due to a certain fight happening within. Did that Mobian not know what he was doing? He needed to stop with those Chaos attacks!

"Shadow, you fool! You just hit the gun battery!" He finished typing into the computer; the cannon in its current state would have to do. He couldn't risk waiting another second.

"With this last Emerald, so begins the Era of my Empire…" The Doctor grinned nefariously as he inserted the yellow Chaos Emerald into the weapon's control.

He laughed maniacally as the septet glowed brightly and strode back to the computer with his head held high to hit the activation button.

His laughter came to an abrupt stop when the power turned off and the Emeralds dulled.

The multiple screens shown on the monitor turned on at once, showing 00:27:53:00. A tape of a man resembling himself appeared, with his head hung down while he was strapped to a chair by metal chains.

"Grandfather?"

" _The countdown marking my revenge on this planet has begun_ ," the recording began. " _In just a few minutes, humanity will be destroyed! Space Colony ARK will hurdle through the atmosphere and crash into this planet with cataclysmic force_!"

oOo

"Shadow? What's going on?" Sonic asked the other, watching as the darker Mobian pushed his upper body off the ground. It was dark, yet the small flames in the malfunctioning area were able to illuminate the other for him, so long as he was in close proximity. The ARK seemed to tremble under his hands and knees, but he desperately hoped that it was just his imagination playing tricks on him.

Shadow frowned. "It's begun." He answered as he stood up and wiped dust off his slim military jacket. "I didn't want it to end this way, but there's no hope anymore...I warned you, yet your tenacity brought you here...now I'll have to suffer too..." The blue teen was surprised to see those crimson eyes reveal so much sorrow as fire reflected in them just before he turned away and disappeared into the dark.

"Hey, wait!" Sonic sprung to his legs. He almost regretted shutting down the power, wishing he could see where the other had run off to. All he wanted to do was resolve everything. To help the other. There still had to be a chance. The adventure wasn't over yet, contrary to what Shadow said, there _was_ still hope. He'd prove it to him.

He ran off, deciding to search for his family first.

oOo

Knuckles was leaning against the Master Emerald as he watched the monitor in the room display a recording of Gerald Robotnik. He and Amy turned to hear what the old man had to say as Tails was bewildered over how his tablet had also been hacked.

"If mine was hacked, then perhaps every electronic on Mobius is showing this too!"

Amy's eyes darted towards the glowing green numbers on the corner of the screen. Surely this was fake, right? She felt the ARK tremble and she instinctively clutched onto Knuckles' vest. To say she afraid was an understatement.

"Do you guys know what's happening?" Sonic asked as he entered the room and stood beside his older brother, eyes focused on the screen.

Rouge then followed after him, looking hopeless. "It's all over for us."

"What do you mean?" The pink hybrid asked her worriedly.

The bat Mobian glanced at her solemnly. "My boss...The President...he sent me a message saying that the Space Colony ARK was approaching Mobius at an incredible velocity. It will most likely...impact the planet." Her lips formed a thin line as her eyes darted towards the large window beside the group of teenagers.

" _This is a death sentence for all the inhabitants of Mobius. If my calculations are correct, the Space Colony ARK will impact the planet in twenty-seven minutes, twenty-three seconds. All of you will be destroyed, including your beloved home_."

The teens all exchanged a glance with each other. Amy let go of Knuckles' vest and held onto the blue Mobian's arm.

" _I plan to give you a taste of my revenge once all the seven Chaos Emeralds are collected_." The recording continued. " _Once I initiate this program, it cannot be disabled. All of you ungrateful humans, who took everything away from me...will feel my loss, and despair!_ "

Sonic's eyes widened as he recognized the man. Grandpa Robotnik. So his suspicions had been confirmed. He remembered the photograph that Eggman and Shadow had shown him, the one where he was beside his granddaughter. She had been shot and killed at a young age, hadn't she?

Was that what the man meant by loss? Was that what this was all about?

The recording began to repeat on an endless cycle.

"Shit, this vibration is getting worse," Knuckles looked at Rouge, who merely bit her lip anxiously.

"Ah, yes, Professor Gerald Robotnik. One of the greatest scientific minds in the world, and my grandfather!" Eggman announced as he joined his ex-students.

"You!" Knuckles exclaimed. "Stop this! Don't you know what you're doing?"

"I wouldn't even have come here had I known my grandfather's intentions from the start."

"So, he got you too?" Sonic smirked, glad to know that his old teacher had his own plans thrown back into his face.

The Doctor frowned at the blue hybrid before sighing. "You're a very persistent Mobian, you know. Still alive, huh?"

"You better believe it!"

Reaching out of his pocket, Eggman flipped to a page and handed Rouge a tattered journal that the blue Mobian instantly recognized. "It belonged to my grandfather. Read it aloud."

The bat nodded. "Why did this happen? What went wrong? I had planned everything so perfectly, yet it all fell apart in my hands. I only wanted to benefit mankind, to help our species progress to its former glory, but then the military landed on the ARK. They were set on destroying the research I dedicated my entire life to. My space colony program was shut down that day. I believe GUN was trying to prevent the prototype from falling into the wrong hands. All my colleagues, their families, my granddaughter Maria, I hope you're all safe…. Today, I learned that the ARK was terminated under the premise that there had been an accident, yet I know that they were just afraid of what I could accomplish. I saw Maria's name among the deceased, she who I created all of this for to cure her disease. To think that my creation was what ended her life prematurely, rendered everything that I worked for meaningless. I no longer had a purpose, I failed her. The intense realization of so much blood on my hands, especially that of my innocent Maria, pushed me to insanity. All I could think about was avenging her, to bring pain to those that ruined her chance to live a normal life. These thoughts consumed me, so much that at times I forgot to eat and sleep. My only goal was to end those who wronged her. With this new purpose, I was to complete my project: Shadow. It's mind was perfect, pure- designed with an overwhelming desire to carry out my will...I will leave it all to him. If you wish, you may release and awaken it, for he carries the power to fill the world with destruction…"

Sonic glanced at the Doctor. "I don't remember seeing that in there."

"You were probably too busy looking at the pictures of the pretty murals, correct?" The teen pouted, but didn't respond as it was completely accurate. "Right now the core of the cannon is highly reactive and explosive, most likely due to the Chaos Emeralds overpowering it. If the ARK impacts the planet, it'll shatter into pieces."

"We have to stop it!" Tails exclaimed.

"The ARK's position may have shifted due to the Emerald's energy; in other words, we must stop the energy."

"How would we do that?"

Rouge paused, glancing at Knuckles with a knowing glint in her eyes. "Can't your Emerald stop the energy?" She pointed to the gem beside him.

"Hey, you're right!"

"Well, you better hurry, Knuckles!" The fox hybrid panicked. "The reaction of the Chaos Emeralds is moving toward the cannon's core! We might be too late!"

"There's still the possibility that there's time left." Eggman interjected. "I'm sure if we pull together, we might find a shortcut that'll lead us to the core."

"Well, just leave that to me." Sonic grinned. "They don't call me the World's Fastest for nothing!"

oOo

Amy meandered through the halls of the ARK, feeling very annoyed that once again, everybody had left her on her own. What, did they not think she was good enough to fight? She continued her stride, passing an open door before pausing.

Did she just see…? No way.

She backed up and noticed the tan Mobian with black and red streaked hair staring out the wide window nostalgically. She became uneasy, not sure if she wanted to approach the intimidating hedgehog hybrid. She bit her lip, she had to do _something_ to help. Sonic believed there was good in him...so she did too!

She walked towards him. "Shadow, please help us! We need you!" Her hands were clasped together as she pleaded.

He shrugged. "It's all going according to plan...this is what she wanted...this was my purpose…besides, there's no way to save anyone, not when you're all here."

The preteen stared at him anxiously. "Shadow, I know there's a lot of bad things in the world. Trust me, I've seen it with my own eyes. People can be cruel and selfish, but...there's a lot of good in the world too. There are people out there that are so kind and loving, that they seem to outweigh all the bad…like Sonic. I've never met someone who's been through so much and still smiles and gives because they're so selfless. He doesn't like to talk about his past at all, we all know that he's had it rough, yet he always does his best to make all of our lives the best they can be. People like him, they deserve a happily ever after, don't you think?" She noticed the way his eyes seemed to soften for a moment before hardening. "And I think...you deserve happiness too." He turned towards her, completely baffled. "You did all this for her, right? You care a lot for your friends. There are people on that planet that you haven't met that are kind like you and Sonic, and even your friend. Don't you think that they all deserve to be happy too? You should help them! Please, Shadow, I beg of you! Give them all a chance!"

He blinked; suddenly he saw Maria lying on the floor, her hand covering her bullet wound as she stared at him with teary eyes, a small smile trying to hide her pain.

" _...Shadow...I beg of you...please, do it for me...for a better future…"_

" _Maria!"_

" _The people on that planet, please...give them a chance...to be happy."_ Her grip on her wound got tighter as her lovely blue dress was becoming soaked in blood. " _That's the reason you were brought into this world...Sayonara, Shadow the Hedgehog…_ "

Amy noticed the tear dripping down Shadow's cheek and bit the inside of her cheek. "That's what I promised her...I must keep that promise."

"Shadow?" She asked softly, making sure the other was alright.

"I must go. I have to keep my promise to Maria-" he looked at her and nodded his head. "-And you. I'll make him happy...thank you."

She watched as he ran out of the room, her hand over her heart. A small smile grew on her face as she felt proud of herself for being able to help her big brother in the end.

oOo

"The core...it looks just like the Master Emerald's altar!"

"Yeah, it does, Knux...it was probably designed similarly so that it could harness the power of the Emeralds. I'm pretty sure grandpa Robotnik had an obsession with the Ancient Echidnas, especially with all those Chaos monsters we saw."

The redhead chuckled as he nodded, before tensing as he sensed a lot of negative Chaos Energy. "Hey, watch out-"

Suddenly a large, lizard beast appeared in the center of the room. Easily seventeen meters high with robotic implants, the two brothers seemed like nothing in comparison.

"This must be that prototype of the Ultimate Lifeform!" Sonic turned to Knuckles with a worried expression after hearing the other's outburst.

"Leave this one to me," He whipped his head around to see Shadow advancing towards the Biolizard.

"You-you're helping us now?" The blue teen couldn't help the smile growing on his face.

The other hedgehog hybrid faced him and nodded. "I'll take care of this while you run to get the Emeralds!"

They ran up the steps as Shadow charged towards the creature. The blue teen watched anxiously as his older brother placed the gem in the center and extended his arms towards it, leaving his hands pressed against the warm, smooth surface.

Knuckles focused hard on the raw power of the Master Emerald. His eyes were closed so he could feel the energy radiating through his palms; it burned, but he had to endure. He was the only one who could.

"The servers are the seven chaos. Chaos is power; power is enriched by the heart. The controller is the one that unifies the Chaos...Only you can do this, stop the Chaos Emeralds!"

The Master Emerald became enveloped in a blinding light, which shortly receded and resulted in the Chaos Emeralds to dim and fall from their pedestals.

The Biolizard shrieked, and both brothers craned their heads to see if Shadow was alright.

It shrieked once again before vanishing before their eyes.

"Is it gone?" Knuckles asked.

"Damn, it used Chaos Control!" Shadow cursed as he jumped to the spot beside Sonic.

The ARK began to tremble tremendously.

"What the hell? We stopped the Emeralds! Why are we still crashing?" The echidna exclaimed, facing his younger brother who looked just as confused as he was.

"The prototype is still alive!" Eggman announced through an intercom. "It attached itself to the outside of the Space Colony and is pulling us towards the planet!"

Sonic reached down and picked up the red Emerald before exchanging a glance with Knuckles. After a hesitant nod, he locked his gaze on Shadow.

"I can't do this alone…"

The other bent down and picked up the green Emerald. "You won't have to." He replied softly.

Both hedgehog Mobians extended their occupied hands and watched the Emeralds brighten in color as they lifted into the air by some strange force. The others brightened as well, and levitated off the ground before encircling them.

The two closed their eyes, feeling the power of Chaos surge through them. Sonic was engulfed in a bright light that replaced his clothing with a golden chestplate and a traditional echidna skirt he remembered from his fight with the God of Destruction. He opened his red eyes to see Shadow staring right back at him; though the other was still in his normal attire, his black hair was a pale gold, and he glowed beautifully.

He smiled warmly at the other, and was content to see the other smile back.

"Let's end this, once and for all."

oOo

" _That large red object is actually the Space Colony ARK glowing as it enters our atmosphere._ " The news reporter, Scarlet Garcia, glanced over her shoulder before returning her gaze to the camera. " _For fifty years, the existence of the ARK was kept a secret. During our investigation, we uncovered a conspiracy within our intelligence services that now threatens the survival of our planet. Our only hope lies in the hands of two Mobians...one of which being our hero from the Chaos Crisis, Sonic the Hedgehog. They can be seen as those two bright yellow lights flying around the ARK. The fate of our lives rests with them._ "

"Cream, are you sure you want to watch this?" Blaze asked the young rabbit Mobian sitting beside her.

"Yes, I have to make sure Sonic and Shadow are okay!"

The feline glanced at the TV, unsure if it was alright for the kids to watch something so...nerve wracking.

"Blaze, it's alright." Cosmo rested her hand on her arm, the lavender haired Mobian turned to face her. "Sonic and Shadow are strong. They'll protect us."

Silver nodded. "Yeah, and I see no point in staying in the dorms any longer. I say we go out there and give them a nice welcome back!"

Cream and Cosmo nodded, immediately springing to their feet and following the other towards the door.

"W-wait," Blaze ordered softly. She watched as her friend opened the door while giving her an impatient look. She sighed heavily before getting up. ' _Might as well.'_

She quickly glanced at the TV, then closed her eyes to take a deep breath.

They would be fine.

oOo

"You wait here and gather your strength! I'll take over for you!"

"But Shadow! I'm fine!"

"This is only your second time reaching your true power, I don't want you to overdo it and kill yourself! I won't be able to save you like last time!"

Sonic smiled, feeling touched that the other was concerned for his well-being. "It's alright if I die," he admitted softly. "If I can save the world, save my family, then I'll be okay with accepting it when the time comes."

Shadow stared at him, completely aghast. How could he say something like that? Amy was right, the other _was_ willing to give his all for others...he deserved to be happy.

"You're staying here until you recover from that last hit, do you understand?"

"Alright, alright. But when you're tired switch with me, okay?"

He nodded, then flew towards the Finalhazard to find an opening for an attack.

Sonic took in a few breaths and tried focusing on the Chaos Energy within him. He had to focus on that energy and try not to use it all at once; he needed to focus on endurance and strength. He looked up and watched as Shadow flew straight into the prototype's life support system. The creature was weakened.

"Shadow!" He called out to the other Mobian. "His defenses are down! We can stop him right in his tracks!"

Shadow looked over his shoulder to see where the teen was before using Chaos Control to teleport beside him.

"We'll push him back when he gets close to us. We need to hold our ground." Sonic nodded in response, but tensed when he felt Shadow's hand on his wrist. He turned his head, curiously, only to see other frowning while his free hand reached to caress his cheek with his thumb. His bare torso was twisted slightly uncomfortably, yet he felt no desire to move away from the the darker Mobian's grasp. Angry ruby eyes held him still.

"Don't ever say that it'd be okay if you died!" He snapped, with so much pent-up emotion that Sonic found himself stunned. "You mean so much to this world! You bring it happiness...just as she wanted it. You bring _me_ happiness…."

He tensed, feeling warm lips plant on his in a simple kiss. Simple, yet somehow it seemed to carry all the love and adoration in the world. Shadow pulled away from the dazed teenager, his eyes now gentle and the hand on the other's wrist slid down and entwined their fingers. The hand resting on his cheek slowly retracted, and tan lips stretched into a sweet, genuine smile.

"She would've loved you too."

Their heads both turned as they watched the Finalhazard draw nearer. The younger Mobian returned his attention to Shadow, his lips slowly curling upwards as he grew out of his surprise. "When this is over...we'll be much closer, right?"

The other hedgehog nodded in agreement, understanding the subtle implication. He let go backed away from Sonic to get into position beside him.

The golden teen extended his arms in front of him, focusing much of the Chaos Energy in his hands. He could feel the heat burn his palms, but he had to deal with it. For everyone. "This is is for you!" He exclaimed towards the Finalhazard.

Shadow did the same, extending his arms with a determined look on his face. As the ARK came closer to them, they could feel the force against them grow stronger.

He winced as he heard Sonic grunt in pain.

" _Shadow, those people need you_!"

His fists clenched, and he felt more power be drawn into him. He used the strength of the Chaos Energy to push his inhibitor rings off of him. No restraint, no limits. He would protect this world, and he would protect Sonic. Power engulfed him, it was all he could feel.

"I'm Shadow, the Ultimate Lifeform!" He glared at the Finalhazard before him. "You ready, Sonic?"

The teen glanced at him quickly. "Yes!" He brought one arm close to his chest and clenched his fist as his other continued to push back against the ARK. He was going to use all the remaining Chaos Energy in one powerful attack. The Chaos Energy moved throughout his being and encircled him. He had one chance to make this work.

Shadow raised an arm and aimed it at the ARK. "Chaos-"

"-Control!" He extended his arm, releasing all the energy he managed to focus into it.

A bright, golden beam headed straight towards the Finalhazard, blinding everyone, including the two super Mobians. The beast could be heard screaming, and Sonic only hoped that he could hold on for just a moment longer.

"You need to go!"

He turned his head toward the voice, completely surprised, feeling a pair of solid objects touch his palm, which he instinctively clasped.

"Shado-" He coughed, feeling a fist ram into his gut, painfully. His eyes widened, and his vision turned black. What was happening? Why…

He felt his body floating away before passing out.

Shadow watched as Sonic drifted away into a safer area; the force of his punch should've been enough to keep him moving until he made it close to his family. The teen couldn't risk using the little bit of Chaos Energy left...but he could.

The ARK was back in it's orbit, all that was left was to completely destroy the prototype. With one last burst of energy, he charged towards the severely weakened bio-monster and braced himself for what was to come after.

oOo

The group of teens all watched as Sonic entered the room; the blue Mobian was thankful that his family caught sight of him and opened a hatch so he could get into the space colony safely.

"Sonic!" Amy and Tails exclaimed as they ran towards him and embraced him.

"Glad you made it alright!" Knuckles smiled as he walked towards his younger brother and slung around the other's shoulder. The teen grinned, glad he could be with his family once again.

"Ahem," Rouge coughed awkwardly into her fist. "I'm sorry, but...have you seen Shadow?"

Sonic paused, and gave his family a serious look they immediately understood. The kids backed away from him, biting their lips, and his older brother removed his arm as he shot her a sympathetic glance. Amy felt her eyes get teary as she watched her the blue teen move towards the bat hybrid.

He extended his arm towards her and unclasped his hand. She blinked in shock.

Shadow's inhibitor ring.

She picked it up, and glanced at him unsurely.

"He'd want you to have it. You were his closest friend."

"...And he was mine," she smiled at him. "I appreciate this."

He nodded, watching as Knuckles moved closer to her.

"You know, we're here for you too. If you need anything." The redhead informed her.

"Yes, I understand. Thank you guys. You all helped me complete my mission." She laughed gently. "I suppose I can ask my boss for a small vacation. I think I need one after these last few months, wouldn't you agree?"

Knuckles grinned. "Yeah, you do. Treasure hunting?"

"Hmmm, maybe, but I have other things on my mind right now. Things that are better than just jewels."

"Where'd Eggman go?" Sonic asked Tails.

The blond shrugged. "He probably left while we were all focused on you and Shadow."

He chuckled. "Well, good for him. We're all too tired to go after him, plus he did help us in the end. We'll catch him one day, little bud!"

The boy grinned, his bright blue eyes squinting with happiness as his big brother was safe.

Amy opened her mouth to speak, but paused, her brows narrowing as she cautiously thought through her words. "Sonic? Are you alright?"

"Huh? Of course I am."

"No, I meant…" Her voice softened. "Are you alright with what happened? To Shadow."

He gave her an uneasy smile. "It's hard, Ames, when you lose someone, but I'm fine! I promise. We just have to keep moving forward, is all. We'll remember him as he was, though. A hero." She gave him a doubtful look. "I'm fine," he insisted with a wider smile. "Now, let's all go home, okay?"

The group nodded, and exited the room. Sonic purposely walked slower than the others, stopping at the doorway and looking back with his head over his shoulder. Out the window he could see the expanse of space; the place where he last saw the darker Mobian.

He subconsciously placed a hand over his wrist, the one where a golden bracelet was concealed by his glove. A sad smile graced his lips as his eyes began to sting.

"Sayonara, Shadow the Hedgehog."

* * *

 _A/N: And that concludes CCF!_

...

 _Just kidding. There's still a lot to delve into. I will upload the next chapter this upcoming week and then take my break. More info on that next chapter._

 _Once again, the girls are the ones that save the world. Rouge lured Knuckles by taking the Master Emerald and Amy reminded Shadow of his inner feelings. You go girls._

 _Yes, I did combine the SA2 fight scene with the one in the series finale of Sonic X. Because why not? It adds romance._

 _See ya next time when these losers gotta go back to school and a certain someone has to cope with loss._


	15. Work It Out

_A/N: When your first love dies because he sacrificed himself to save humanity, what do you do? You work it out._

* * *

 _ **Chapter 15: Work It Out**_

The sound of the alarm startled him, his body trembling for a moment as his emerald eyes widened in fear. After a few deep breaths, he calmed, and gently closed his eyes to clear his mind before reaching for his clock. He ran shaky fingers through his hair as he sat up, it was damp from sweat and his skin hot to the touch. Why? Did he have a bad dream? He couldn't remember.

The arm around his waist clutched his t-shirt with a tight grip. The blue teen craned his neck to see the blond curl into a ball closer to his side, attempting to steal his warmth. Immediately, he felt a relieved smile grace his lips.

"Hey, get up." He said softly as he brushed his fingers through soft golden locks.

"Nooo...don't wanna." The boy whined as he burrowed further within his nest of blankets.

"You have to, buddy," he chuckled, feeling the boy relax under his caress. "We missed two days of school, we gotta to get back on track."

"We don't _have_ to," the fox hybrid huffed tiredly.

"Well, I'm saying we're going, so we're going. I'll let ya sleep in a bit cause you took a shower last night, but I'm trusting you to wake the knucklehead before I get out of mine."

Tails sighed dreamily. "Alright."

He untangled himself from the sheets then rose out of bed to amble into the boy's bathroom. He disrobed then turned the shower faucet so that he could enter the tepid water and fully wake up. Shampoo was poured into his hand before it was scrubbed into his cobalt hair, though he noticed that it had grown in the past few months. Once being just past his shoulders to now reaching midway down his scapula, he didn't mind the increased length, just as long as the ends remained sharp. He raised his hand to push his wet bangs out of his face, only to catch sight of a glimmering object around his wrist.

Shadow's golden ring.

The water continued to pour on him as he stood there, his emerald eyes fixated on the memento, though glazed, lost in thought as he remembered the darker Mobian.

' _I was supposed to save him, but I failed. The first person I found myself in love with, and I let him down. He's gone, and it's all my fault because I was too weak. I'm always too weak no matter how much I try to hold on...This always happens to me, just like when I was a kid.'_

He bit his lip and closed his eyes, repressing those thoughts like the habit it had become. There was nothing he could do about the past, what's done was done. He had wanted to save Shadow, but in the end, the exact opposite had happened. As much as it tore him up inside, he had to honor the other. He had to appreciate what the other hybrid did for the world, what he did for him. The only thing he could do was remember him.

He briefly wondered if this was destiny's sick way of telling him he wasn't meant to be loved. Despite that, he still tried hard to prove it wrong. Maybe one day he could beat the odds.

A soft sigh emitted from his lips as he mulled over a new subject; it was Wednesday, meaning his adventure had lasted four days, since he was arrested by GUN on Saturday. He dreaded all the make up schoolwork he had waiting for him, though he sincerely hoped that his teachers would go easy on him. After all, he saved the world twice.

He ceased the flow of water by turning the knob, then exited the shower before pulling a clean towel off a rack and wrapping it around his waist. He held it there firmly as he left the bathroom and made his way through the narrow space in front of the door between the closet and his older brother's bed. He nearly stumbled into Knuckles, who had been changing into his clothes, as he picked out his outfit with one hand. Being crowded together was nothing new to them after living together for years, they were well used to this lifestyle.

Knuckles squeezed his way past him to get to the bathroom while he slipped on his vest. He sat on the redhead's bed as he put on his socks and gloves, eyes darting towards his own to notice that his little brother was gone, probably all ready to go. He entered the bathroom, ignoring his brother yell at him for invading his privacy as he brushed his teeth and left, telling the other that he should learn to lock the door if it bothered him so much.

He sauntered straight towards the living room, pausing as he saw two of his younger siblings whispering to each other with contemplative expressions on their face. Amy's eyes locked onto his and she stopped mid-sentence, sealing her lips in a thin line. Tails whipped his head around, blue eyes roaming over him curiously.

Were they talking about him?

"Hey, Sonic," the preteen greeted him as her gaze softened. "Are you sure you want to go to school today? You've...been through a lot lately. Maybe you should rest?"

Instead of frowning, he concealed his annoyance with a smile. "I'm fine. It's best that we go back to school. We can get back into routine that way."

Tails pouted at her. "See? I told you he's fine. He always is. He's not sensitive like you are."

She crossed her arms as she glared at him, completely affronted by his statement. "Yeah, but he's still a person…" She muttered under her breath.

Cream and Cosmo opened their bedroom door to greet their older siblings in the living room, with Cheese flying close by his beloved partner. The rabbit Mobian jumped into her older brother's arms, glad to have a chance to see him safe at home after a long adventure. She had been too tired the previous night to give him her full enthusiasm, but now she could hold him all she wanted. "Christmas is soon!" She cheered before nuzzling into the crook of his neck.

Sonic giggled before adjusting her in his arms so that she sat on his hip comfortably. "Very true, only a week away! I'm sure Santa will have so many presents for you guys!"

Cosmo stood next to Tails, shly reciprocating the broad smile he gave her. "I can't wait. I've never celebrated Christmas before, so this should be exciting."

"You'll love it!" the blond assured her, his twin tails waving excitedly. "When we lived on West Side, Sonic always made sure Christmas was fun. Now that we have a home and more friends it should be amazing!"

The blue hybrid grinned. "As long as you remember it's not about the presents, it's about the memories you make with the people you love."

Knuckles entered the room and stood next to Sonic. "Are we all ready to go?"

"How's the weather?" He asked as he placed Cream on the ground.

"Sunny." His little brother replied.

"Then yes, we're ready." He held the young rabbit's hand in his before leading the others towards the front door. "Let's get this day started."

oOo

"Shortly before break we will be having a test on everything we have learned up to this point. In other words, you must study from the end of the Common Era when the Xorda invaded all the way to the end of the Lost Era. After Christmas break, we'll start the Modern Era." Mr. Stewart picked up a pile of papers and began handing them out to the students. "I've created a study guide you all can work on in class. You may work with your peers, but please, stay focused. Any questions and you may ask me."

"Thanks," Sonic grinned as his teacher handed him a packet. The teacher nodded with a warm smile before handing Silver his.

The tan Mobian on his side picked up his desk and moved closer to him as Mina rotated hers. Knuckles and Vector moved out of their seats and took vacant desks nearby the trio before joining them to create a circle.

"Alright, so around 2025 CE the Xorda invaded Earth...what caused the invasion?" Silver answered the first question then read the second.

"Uh, some guy name Kintobor took one of their emissaries and dissected it, right?" Sonic answered unsurely. His memory was somewhat rusty after his hectic weekend.

"Yeah, that sounds about right."

Mina flipped through the pages with a frown on her face before raising her hand.

"Yes, Mina?" Mr. Stewart walked over to the mongoose Mobian.

She brushed some stray purple hairs out of her face, her green eyes scanning the page. "I have a question concerning some of these questions; they seem a little outdated."

"Ah, yes." He faced the class and raised his voice. "Class, many of the questions on the second page concern information we have learned recently due to Sonic and Knuckles' adventure during the Chaos Crisis. You can cross those questions off since they merely discuss the multiple theories of where Chaos Energy comes from and now they've all been debunked."

He sent Sonic a wink, and the blue teen beamed.

"You know, he was out while you were too." Mina whispered to him as their teacher left.

"Yeah, I could've sworn I saw him on TV at some point?" Silver shrugged. "Maybe he didn't want to spend the end of the world teaching?"

The mongoose hybrid chuckled. "Probably." She glanced at Sonic, noticing that the other seemed...zoned out. Perhaps bringing up recent events triggered something? "Hey, Sonic, have you made any new songs lately? I'd love to hear them!" She smiled, hoping that it snap him back to reality.

"Huh-" He blinked. "Oh, yeah, totally!" A grin grew on his face.

Silver nodded, agreeing. His eyes glanced towards Knuckles and Vector, where the former was helping the reptilian hybrid understand the questions about the Lost Era, especially the ones about his namesake tribe.

"Hey, can we meet up sometime today? I'd like to show you something." Mina asked the blue Mobian.

"Oh, alright. Sure!"

oOo

"No, but like, why do we live in the Modern Era? Isn't that a little subjective? 'Cause isn't every era is the Modern Era for the people that live in it." Sonic mused aloud as he ate lunch with his friends, taking a bite out of a burger shortly after.

Tails frowned at his older brother before scratching his cheek pensively. "I mean, yeah, you're right."

Blaze smirked. "At least it's not known as the Eggman Era, thanks to you."

Their table laughed; as if an Eggman Era would ever happen.

"So, the Common Era was the 21st century, right?" Knuckles asked carefully.

"No, it goes back further than that. From the year 0 to 2025 CE." Silver answered.

"Then after that was the Lost Era," Blaze continued. "That lasted approximately nine thousand years. Not much is known about that period except for that's when the mutations all occurred."

"Right." The redhead nodded. "Then when my tribe created the Master Emerald and recorded history, that started the Modern Era."

"Exactly." The feline hybrid replied.

"Okay, I think I'm ready for that test next Tuesday then."

"The Modern Era is actually pretty expansive." Tails told the echidna. The redhead shrugged, not really caring for material he didn't need to know yet.

"I'm gonna guess you read ahead again, huh?" Sonic smirked at the fox hybrid.

"Well, yeah."

"So, what happened? Explain in the simplest way possible."

"Well, there was the Ancient Period with the tribes and stuff, then the Advancement Period occurred about a thousand years ago, that's when we started making civilizations and creating an actual government. Then we hit the Rediscovery Period in the last few centuries."

"Ah, the Rediscovery...that's when we began turning back to our human roots, yes? We unearthed many things from our prehistoric past." Blaze noted.

"Yes, and because of that we were able to evolve rapidly as a species. They found a lot of books and movies from that period, so we didn't have to learn everything from scratch. We had a foundation to fall back to."

"...That's when we got all of that old music, right? And all of our pop culture?" Sonic's eyes squinted slightly as he was unsure if he was correct.

"Yes," the blond smiled at him.

"You know, Sonic, if you're interested you can always visit the library." The feline suggested. "They have a wide variety of books. I'm sure you could find some fascinating books on music. The Common Era apparently valued entertainment above all else."

"It's kind of a shame that our society isn't really into music anymore." Silver pursed his lips. "The focus is all on science and the military, mainly because that's what GUN wants."

The fox hybrid sighed. "Yeah, but I read somewhere that there are multiple intelligences. Music is actually very good for the mind, and Sonic, you're very talented when it comes to that stuff. That's one area I seem to lack."

The blue teen blinked, completely shocked that Tails was complimenting him on _intelligence_. "Uh, thanks!"

Knuckles was only half-listening to the conversation as he chewed his fries. He hoped he would catch sight of Rouge, as they normally made eye-contact during lunch. It was just a thing that became theirs ever since they became well-acquainted. He wondered if she was distraught over what happened to Shadow and stayed home. He decided he would have to try visiting her later to make sure she was alright.

"Hey, Blue!"

Sonic tensed. He knew that voice, unfortunately, and it had been months since he last heard it. What did the green-haired Mobian want now?

"Scourge," he answered simply, noticing the way the rest of his table narrowed their eyes and prepared themselves to back him up, if needed.

"Woah, woah! Calm down, babe!" The other teen smirked. "I just wanted to know how you've been holding up!"

He raised a brow, watching him askance as the grin on the other's face grew wider. "What are you talking about?"

"I'd like to offer my sincere condolences for the death of your boyfriend. Tell me, Blue, how does it feel to have the people you love abandon you? First your parents, now this-"

Emerald eyes widened in shock while his friends stood abruptly to defend him. The green Mobian grinned deviously, amused by the other's stunned reaction.

So the hero of the world had a weak spot. That could work for him and his plans, if only he didn't have his friends. Luckily, he had his own gang.

"Get the hell out of here!" Knuckles snarled. He had known Sonic the longest, he knew that the younger had issues with abandonment, especially after their conversation at Sky Sanctuary. He was great at hiding it, but things like that didn't just disappear, especially when he had no one until they met.

Scourge shrugged, though the smug grin on his face didn't disappear. "I'm just being a nice guy. I'm expressing my sympathies."

Blaze narrowed her eyes. "You call that sympathy? You're very cruel."

"If you don't leave right now, we'll make you." Silver warned.

The threatening teen sniggered, ice blue eyes glancing at all the offensive Mobians before lingering on the stunned hero. "Alright, alright. This isn't the last you'll hear from me, though." He turned and left. The others relaxed and sat in their seats once the green hybrid was out of sight.

Tails patted his older brother's arm worriedly. "Sonic, are you okay?"

He blinked a few times before glancing at the kit with a smile. "Yeah, haha, I just got caught off guard."

The blond suddenly felt very concerned for Sonic's wellbeing. Maybe Amy had a point...

"That was a dick move," Knuckles huffed, too pissed to censor himself in front of the kid. "Who the hell says shit like that?"

"It was uncalled for," the feline hybrid scowled. "He needs to be taught manners."

Silver nodded in agreement. "Yeah, like what's his deal anyways? We get it, he's attracted to you. I don't understand why he's an ass about it."

Sonic sighed. "He...didn't like Shadow. At all. They had a confrontation once." He left it at that, as he wasn't sure if he had told them all the story about what happened months ago when he was drugged. If he hadn't, well, he really didn't want to bring it up.

"It's funny how he seems to think he even has a _chance_ with you." The albino huffed while crossing his arms. Blaze sucked in her lips, attempting to conceal an amused grin. Her best friend being obliviously defensive was very humoring.

The blue teen chuckled. "Yeah, he's too much of a jerk and thinks he's cool. Newsflash, he's not."

Tails and Knuckles relaxed, glad to see that he was in a better mood.

He always did look his best with a smile on his face.

oOo

"Where are you taking me?" Sonic asked the mongoose Mobian he was following. Mina had found him at the end of the school day and asked if she could show him something, which he agreed to. They were in the lower level of the school, nearby the cafeteria and auditorium. He couldn't help but wonder what she had in store for him.

She shook her head. "I can't say. That'd ruin the surprise!"

"I see," he grinned as he let her lead him down the hall and into a classroom. It was large and spacious with lockers on the wall and in the center were chairs and music stands surrounding a podium. She led him to a door in the back on the other end and turned the handle, revealing a small room with an antique piano against the wall.

"Oh, wow."

"We're in the band room. I normally come here for my choir class and music elective, but sometimes there's no class and its free for students to use. Despite that, it's usually empty, which is nice. I'm sure in the other rooms there are guitars if you like those better, but I think I remember you telling me you know piano? Maybe?"

"Yeah, I learned piano first…" He approached the instrument and caressed the smooth wood with his hands. It was beautifully made. "Thanks for bringing me here."

"Anything for my partner in song, haha. It's nice to have a friend who understands the art of music. It's great for taking your mind off of things."

He nodded absentmindedly as he pressed a key, a nostalgic gleam in his eyes. ' _When you hit one, it makes a sound; When you hit many, you can make a melody_.' The voice from his childhood, the one he refused to remember, came back against his will. He shook his head, brushing it away. Move forward, he had to move forward.

"Well, I have to go because I have a date with Ash. You can stay if you want, the school is open way into the night for all the older Mobians that take college night courses here." She suggested.

"I guess I'll leave too, but I'll definitely come back here. I'll get all my songs and themes."

Mina smiled as she held the door open for him.

oOo

It was dinner and Tails sat in his seat looking conflicted. Cosmo watched him from his side worriedly, concerned that he wasn't feeling well.

"Tails, is something the matter?" She asked softly, her sky blue eyes searching him.

The fox hybrid looked up stunned before blushing and scratching the back of his neck. He laughed nervously. "I'm fine, Cosmo! Really!"

He noticed the way she pouted doubtfully, and how her mouth opened to respond.

"Hello! May we join your table?" The two kids turned their heads to see who was talking, only to find a group of Mobians they've never seen before. Well, Tails recognized Mina and Rotor, but only them.

It had been the redhead Mobian with blue eyes that spoke. Her voice was clear, elegant, and friendly. Sonic smiled at her. "Sure, Sal, if you can find a place to sit." He nodded towards their crowded table. Of course, there was a little more space as Rouge and Shadow weren't there, but he didn't want to replace their seats so soon. Especially if the bat was just absent for the day and the idea of someone taking Shadow's spot made him uncomfortable.

"Ah, true. Perhaps we can seat ourselves beside you at the table parallel to yours." She glanced at the other table, noticing that it had three occupants she was familiar with: Sonar the Fennec, Trevor Burrow the Mole, and Spike the Porcupine. "Is that alright with you, Spike?"

"Huh-" The porcupine Mobian glanced up. "Oh! Sally! Yeah, you can join! Hell, the whole end of the table is yours!"

"Thank you," Sally smiled before facing her group of friends. "How should we sit? Three on each side?"

"Yeah, let's have a girl side and boy side." Mina stuck her tongue out at Ash, who frowned with displeasure.

Sally and Bunnie chuckled. "Sure, hun. We can do that." The latter humored the younger Mobian. "'Toine, how 'bout you sit 'cross from me, 'kay?"

The coyote hybrid sent her a look, but complied begrudgingly. He hadn't been keen on the idea of switching tables.

The Freedom Fighters settled in their new seats. Sally turned and faced the blue teenager.

"So, is this your family you mentioned? It's quite large."

"Ah, right. I should introduce you all to the kids!" He beamed. "Well, beside me is Tails."

"You're the prodigy Rotor's told me about, correct?" The chipmunk Mobian smiled at him. The young boy blushed sheepishly as he nodded hesitantly.

"Then there's Cosmo, and Amy." The Seedrian smiled shyly while Amy glowered at her. Ever since Sonic first mentioned Sally to her, she was filled with instant dislike towards her. She was the blue hybrid's number one girl, and would accept no competition. "And back there with the chao is Cream."

"Wow, the kids are very adorable. You raised them?"

He grinned. "Yup!"

"Hey, I helped." Knuckles frowned.

"Yeah, sure you did, but I did most of the work."

"Aww, what a bunch of cuties!" Bunnie cooed from beside her friend. "I'd love to get to know y'all personally!"

Tails and Cosmo exchanged a look as their cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "Thank you." They both said softly, feeling shy under the attention. Amy smiled politely and nodded, while Cream cheered enthusiastically, they being the more social ones.

The gang resumed talking, only this time the Freedom Fighters were included. Multiple conversations went back and forth between the two tables, yet Cosmo continued to watch as Tails rested his head on the palm of his hand, scowling in deep thought.

"Tails, please tell me what's wrong. You seem sad, and that's not you at all."

The Mobian sighed. "I don't know what to get everyone as a present. It's hard, but I know Sonic is gonna get us a bunch of stuff and I really want to get him something too, you know?" He answered her softly.

The Seedrian paused and nodded gently. "Ah, I understand. I'm really not familiar with Christmas, so I'm at a loss on what to give people too…" She pouted, suddenly feeling dejected.

Tails widened his eyes. "No, no. You don't have to buy stuff for anyone. I technically don't have to either, cause we're kids. But, I don't know, I know it'd make Sonic really happy if we did something nice for him."

"Well, I would like to give Sonic something too. You're all I have left now, it's the least I could do after you've all done so much for me."

He smiled at her. "Maybe we can work together to get him something?"

Cosmo smiled, her blue eyes brightening. "Yes, that would be perfect."

Mina overheard the whispers being exchanged and an idea suddenly popped into her head.

"Hey, Tails." She turned in her seat and whispered. "I've got an idea for you."

The blond glanced at her. "Oh? What?" His eyes widened. Cosmo awkwardly looked between the two as she was still unfamiliar with the mongoose, though the fox had known Mina for months now.

"You guys could get him a keyboard. They have great deals at the shopping distract down by the shore. Then you can use your tech wiz to create a laptop with some audio program he can use to make his music. I think that'd be cool."

He grinned. "He'd love that."

"How would we pay for the keyboard though?" Cosmo asked.

"You all have money cards the school issued. They add more cash every month depending on your grades, but you two are good kids. If you haven't used them that much then you should have some money saved. A keyboard is pretty expensive though, so putting your cash together might just be enough."

"All right. Thanks, Mina!" The mongoose nodded with a broad smile before turning back in her seat. The fox hybrid looked at the Seedrian and smiled. "So, are you still in?"

"Of course!"

oOo

"Cosmo, what should we do for the others? We can't just get them nothing!" The Seedrian watched as Cream pouted while she held Cheese in her arms, staring out of the playground tunnel they hid themselves in.

"Well, Tails and I are planning on getting Sonic a keyboard. You can help us by splitting the cost on your money card, if you'd like?"

"Sure! Sonic loves music! He'd be really happy with that!"

She smiled. "Perhaps Amy would also like to lend a hand?"

The Mobian shook her head, glancing at the preteen as she talked with her friends Honey and Tiara over by the swings. "No, I asked her earlier if she'd help, but she said she already had her own ideas on what to get us..."

Cosmo sighed. "So we need to figure out what to get Sonic, Knuckles, Tails, and Amy. I'm sure the two of us can think of something."

The rabbit paused, watching as Sonic talked with Tails, Silver, and Blaze as they all sat on top of the monkey bars. What did Sonic like? He liked running, tea parties, flowers…

The younger of the two smiled widely as an idea struck her. She gave Cosmo an enthusiastic look; the plant hybrid was the only one who could help her.

oOo

Christmas Eve came around soon enough. After a week of school, and an annoying test on Tuesday, Wednesday was the last day of class. Sonic absolutely loved how easygoing all his teachers became. Why couldn't they always be so laid back? He really enjoyed how they all just played Christmas movies from the Common Era.

Thursday was an exhausting day for everyone. Amy baked cookies as well as helped Cosmo and Cream put together a Gingerbread house, then they all worked together on decorating said cookies for Santa. Tails had helped out, but he had a few last touches on his gift to make. Sonic had spent most of his time in his upstairs neighbor's dorm, working hard on wrapping presents. Silver and Blaze offered to help, though they themselves had to finish wrapping. It was decided that the blue teen would leave his gifts with them until around midnight when he could sneak out and put them under the tree. Knuckles...was off on his own. He was concerned that he hadn't seen Rouge at all in days, so he was on a search for her. He hoped he could see her at least on Christmas. He did run into the Chaotix though, and asked if they would contact him if they managed to see her. He just had to know if she was okay.

By night, the kids and Knuckles all collapsed into their beds before Sonic lulled the younger ones to sleep with his voice. Instead of singing a song he created, he opted for seasonal songs he was familiar with. When everyone was out cold, he carried Tails into their room and gently placed the boy on his bed, smiling as he ruffled the unconscious boy's hair.

He stood, excited. Afterall, he had a lot of cookies to eat.

oOo

"Sonic? Wake up! Santa came!"

"Cream, what are you doing here?" He mumbled as he sat up. It was seven in the morning and he did not get his needed eight hours of sleep.

"Oh, Sonic, would you please get up?" He glanced down at her glimmering caramel eyes as she looked at him pleadingly. Cheese was on top of her head with a matching expression.

He sighed, knowing full well he couldn't deny the rabbit when she looked at him like that. He noticed that Tails was gone, though Knuckles could still be heard snoring on the other side of the room. He let Cream grab a hold of his hand, hers tiny in comparison, to lead him out of the room. As the little girl opened the door, he used his free hand to shake the redhead awake, startling him.

"Get up, the kiddos want their presents."

The echidna huffed, but pushed off his covers and followed them out of the room.

Sonic smiled upon seeing the kids all snuggled together on the couch with hot chocolate in their hands. Silver and Blaze were seated on the ground before them, also drinking from their mugs, though the latter looked much more awake than her friend. He figured Amy had brought them over. Cream sat beneath the tree, waiting patiently as the blue teen sat himself next to her. Knuckles sat on the arm of the couch, waiting with his arms crossed.

"Okay, Cream, you can pass out the presents now."

The little girl picked up a small present that was wrapped in green paper with a white bow and read the name. She got up and handed it to Cosmo. "It's for you!"

"For me?" The Seedrian blinked. "Who's it from?"

"Tails," she replied with a smile.

Cosmo neatly unwrapped it, and handed the paper to Sonic as he reached for it. She opened the box that barely fit into her palm and froze.

A beautiful, white porcelain flower was given to her.

"I-Tails, I can't even-"

The fox blushed. "Sorry, but when I saw it I had to get it."

A grateful smile grew on her lips. "Thank you."

Sonic chuckled quietly to himself before sending Cream a nod, letting her know it was okay to pass the next present. The process continued until everyone had gotten gifts. Amy was excited with the lavish make-up kit her beloved older brother had gotten her, the pale pink diamond Knuckles had found for her, the flower crown of cherry blossoms Cream and Cosmo made for her, the beautiful hand-mirror with rose designs that Blaze and Silver had bought, and the cool pink tablet Tails made.

The fox hybrid was looking forward to reading all the books he had gotten that dealt with aerodynamics, physics, quantum physics, history on the Lost Era, etcetera, as well as using the toolbox he got from 'Santa.' He'd be lying though if he said he didn't appreciate all the mint candy poured into his boxes. He also thought his flower crown of yellow roses was very sweet.

Silver was happy with Blaze's gift, a snowglobe of New City. It was beautiful, and seeing it look so peaceful calmed him of all the terrible apocalyptic nightmares he had of that place. The girls had given him a flower crown of white chrysanthemums, and Amy bought him a white scarf which she added embroidery to, ones similar to the markings on his hands that tended to glow. Sonic and Tails both got him a collection of DvDs he wanted to watch for their boy's night marathoning adventures.

Blaze was happy with her gift from Silver, a medieval fantasy novel she had borrowed multiple times from the library. From Amy, she had gotten a picture frame with her, Cream, Cosmo, and the pink hedgehog all smiling inside. Sonic and Tails got her CDs of ballet music while Cream and Cosmo had given her a crown of purple irises, which had touched her heart just as much as Amy's photograph.

Knuckles wasn't very much into Christmas and didn't really care much for presents, but he couldn't help but smile when Cream and Cosmo handed him his crown of holly. Sonic had given him socks and coal, much to his displeasure, and with Tails had gotten him a red music player filled with all his favorite rap songs. Amy had gone into the kitchen to get his present- a grape pie, which he worked on eating during the exchange of presents.

Cream and Cosmo were each given beautiful porcelain dolls from 'Santa', along with many clothes for said dolls. Sonic had gotten them dresses to dress up in, and Amy had gotten them cute plush toys of blue hedgehog mascots that were the current fad. Knuckles had tried to make jewelry for the girls out of gems he found, only they were poorly made, but they loved them anyways. Silver and Blaze got them a lovely new tea set they were eager to use while Tails got Cream her own crayons and sketchbook.

Sonic smiled with his gift from Cosmo and Cream, a forget-me-not crown. He also laughed at Knuckles' present: a gift card to a restaurant that served chili dogs. He knew he was going to use it up as soon as possible. Amy had made him a collage filled with group photos of the gang, though he was curious to know how she captured them all, she wouldn't tell. The images of him and Shadow made his heart swell, but he was able to tear his gaze away before getting too upset. Blaze had bought him a CD with the best hits from the 21st century and Silver blushed when Sonic expressed how happy he was the other got him a video on numerous break dance moves.

"Sonic, there's still one more present." Cream pulled out the final present; it was huge, so the Mobian chuckled as he helped her pull it out.

"Let's see who it's for…" He told her as he checked for a name. He certainly didn't buy this one.

 _Sonic._

"Oh, it's for me?" He blinked in surprise, he didn't expect something so big for himself. There was no other name on the present so he had no clue who the giver was. Cream smiled at him sweetly as she watched him open the gift, beaming when she saw the look of complete surprise on his face.

A keyboard...and a laptop? What?

"I don't even- how did?"

"Looks like Santa got you something too, Sonic!" Tails grinned cheekily.

His eyes darted towards the fox. "Tails, you-"

"Cosmo, Cream, and I got it. We bought it with our money cards and everything."

"You three?" Emerald irises flickered to each of them. "You didn't have to."

"We didn't have to, but we wanted to." Cosmo smiled. "We want you to share your music with the world."

The blue teen placed his present beside him before reaching his arms towards the kids. "Okay, big hug. All of you." The kids jumped into his embrace and giggled. "I love you guys."

Amy and Knuckles exchanged a glance with each other, and the pink Mobian gestured for their guests to follow her lead.

Suddenly Sonic felt himself crowded in a group hug.

This was why he loved Christmas.

oOo

The Saturday after Christmas, Sonic went to the library to check out some books on music. Tails was probably out by Mystic Ruins working on one of his two planes, or coming up with a new invention, while Knuckles spent the day with his beloved rock. Amy and the girls were all at the dorm playing dress-up, which he successfully avoided getting guilted into. He did not want to be a victim to one of Amy's makeovers.

He observed the spines and pulled an old looking book out. The words on the cover were a bit faded, but he could still make out the title. Something about old love songs from the 21st century. He shrugged, walking to a table where he already had a pile accumulated. He set the book down and skimmed through its pages. He was pleased to find notes, thankful that he learned to read music during his time at the orphanage. He could play these melodies sometime, if he ever felt up for it. A little variety never hurt anybody.

He paused on a page after a couple of words caught his eye…'My Destiny.'

After mentally repeating the title, he frowned. The song seemed familiar to him somehow.

He glanced at the lyrics under the notes and read them. A voice sang in his head, a female, a voice he remembered from long ago. The same one he remembered when Mina showed him the band room, and he swore he heard it another time too.

' _I remember memories from a long, long time ago. I can hear you calling me, to never let you go.'_

He became overwhelmed with anger as he slammed the book shut; his eyes stinging slightly as he heard the female sing beautifully in his head. He had to forget that; he thought he moved on from that.

She was gone, and he would never see her again. She promised him she'd come back, but she never did.

It was odd how the lyrics of the song she taught him seemed to fit so well.

He shook his head, picking up the book and placing it back on the shelf. That was years ago, he was over that. He was so much better off now, he didn't need to think of the past any longer. After some deep breaths, he tried to focus on something different.

Perhaps he could pay his older brother a visit.

oOo

"Knuckles."

The redhead cracked a violet eye open to see his younger brother standing before him. He closed his eyes and sighed, not wanting to get up. He had been taking a nice nap under the clear sky, resting the back of his head against his arms as he listened to his rap. "What is it? Why are you here?"

Sonic made a teasing expression. "What? Have I been banned from visiting or something?"

He shook his head. "No, but you never visit me. Is something wrong?"

"Um, well…" The blue Mobian scratched the back of his head.

"Well, spit it out." The echidna raised a brow.

"I noticed that when I fought the Finalhazard, I still wasn't that great at controlling my super. I mean, I get better each time I use it, but I was wondering if I could speed up that process a little."

Knuckles nodded. "Oh, yeah. I think I know a way to help." He gestured for the other to come closer. "Sit there." He pointed to a spot just before the Master Emerald and Sonic complied. "Alright, now sit criss-cross, and close your eyes." The younger shifted his position. "Now, hands on your knees and just focus on the Chaos Energy. Try to feel it inside your body, and then try to focus it into different parts."

"Okay, and how long should I do this for?"

The redhead shrugged, despite the fact that the other closed his eyes. "However long necessary. Even I meditate every once in awhile."

Sonic took a deep breath and focused.

oOo

"Hey, quit beating yourself up over it. You did everything you could."

Rouge glanced at the Overlander beside her and glared, her arms crossed defiantly. "I'm not beating myself up over anything!"

Topaz let out a heavy sigh as she switched the TV channel. "Then quit your moping and drink up. We have a new year to start."

The bat pursed her lip as she picked up her wine glass and swirled its contents. It's color reminded her of a certain hybrid's eyes...ugh, why? When did she even grow close to him? Why was his death impacting her so much? It certainly affected her ability to enjoy anything. She couldn't stand it.

His loss...it hit her hard. More than she expected it to. In moments like this, she decided to avoid school and catch up with her other friend, just for the reassurance that she was still there. Topaz didn't mind, in fact, she liked having Rouge over her house. Not only were they co-workers, but she liked to think that she was some parental figure for the teen.

The Overlander watched as the bat-hybrid scowled at her drink. It was strange having met this girl when she was fourteen, when she hardly had any morals and a lack of trust towards anyone, then seeing her evolve into the young woman before her.

"I'm very proud of you." Topaz took a sip of her drink, smiling when she saw the hybrid raise a brow at her comment. "You've changed so much since we met. Back then, you were a manipulative thief with no regard for others. You worked with people like that green hedgehog who threatened to kill me. Now, you're making friends, you trust people, you're putting that smart brain of yours to good use."

That bat hybrid chuckled. "I have changed a lot, haven't I?"

"You were quite the delinquent."

"I suppose I have you to thank for shaping me up." She smirked.

"It was your choice to listen to me, though."

The bat placed her glass against the table. "Yes...yet to this day, I don't know why."

"But you're happier now."

"Of course."

"It's because you're surrounding yourself with people who care about you."

"...You're right." Rouge sighed. "Before, I had no one. When I first met Shadow, it was just two people living under the same roof. I tried to get him to talk, but he was always business...and then Knuckles and Sonic moved next door and I was assigned to keep an eye on them. I knew that Blue had a crush on him, but I never expected Shadow to open up so much towards him. I guess at some point he decided he could open up to me too...he actually trusted me. I honestly didn't expect that from him at all." She frowned. "Perhaps I feel guilty. He just looked so...hurt, when he found out I was a spy. Like he didn't want it to be true."

Topaz sent her a sympathetic glance. "You did your job, and you did it well. All of us at GUN are proud of you. Your quick-thinking saved the world, you know. You're just as much of a hero as the others, your confidentiality is the only difference."

The bat averted her gaze. "Sure, but I wish I could see him one last time. I would make it up to him. I think he was the first person to actually trust me. Not because of work or anything, but he actually thought of me as a friend. He didn't say much, but at school, he was always by my side. He actually _listened_ to me. I just...I just can't believe it."

"What about Sonic? And that echidna boy you like? Aren't they your friends?"

She chuckled. "Of course, but it just isn't the same...I don't know how to explain it. Sonic is just naturally friendly. Knuckles, I originally thought he was just a cute hot-head, but at some point I found myself actually growing feelings for him...with Shadow, I don't know...I guess I saw him as the brother I never had…" Her eyes widened at the sudden realization.

Her Overlander companion nodded. "I see. When you live with someone, you just can't help but get used to them and their habits."

Rouge nodded sadly. "Yes...but he's gone now. I can only imagine what Blue is going through..."

Topaz glanced at the TV, where the streets of downtown Station Square were crowded while everyone waited for the ball to drop. "We should start the new year with pleasant thoughts, don't you think? What good things happened in 3235? You uncovered the truth about Project Shadow and helped save Mobius, your old History teacher and I arrested a secret organization for murder and high treason...anything else?" Rouge shrugged. "Oh, yeah, you found loveee," the Overlander sang, much to the Mobian's amusement.

"We got a paid vacation," the bat hybrid added.

"Yes, that's a good one!" The Overlander's lilac eyes caught a glimpse of the time at the top right of the screen. "Oh, the countdown is going to start soon." She stated as she ran her fingers through her disheveled, sandy blonde hair.

"Already?"

Topaz nodded. "Have any goals for this new year?"

"More gems in my collection would be nice. You?"

"Me? How about a raise?"

"Yeah, that's a good one."

"So, what are you going to do for the rest of our vacation? Are you going to keep skipping school after the break?"

Rouge rubbed her chin. "Oh, right. Christmas break ends in a couple of days." She sighed. "I guess I'll keep skipping for a bit. I mean, I really don't have to go. I already have a stable job. I only really care about getting some knowledge on making a business."

Topaz hummed. "Yeah, but you know the Commander would like it if you went."

The bat pursed her lips. "I know, but I just can't bring myself to go back to an empty dorm."

"You don't have to go back now, wait until you feel comfortable. I suggest you go out though to get your mind off of things."

The hybrid grinned. "I suppose I'll get back to treasure hunting soon. Just after a few more days of relaxing."

"Sounds good." Topaz refilled her cup. "Now, let's drink up for the new year."

The countdown started, and Rouge picked up her glass.

Fireworks could be heard on the TV and outside; the glasses of the two ladies clinked before they each took a sip.

* * *

 _A/N: So, even though this chapter wasn't adventurous, it let us into the minds of our heroes. Where should I start the explanation?_

 _Let's start with Scourge being an asshole. He's still here, just because we haven't heard from him for a few chapters doesn't mean he isn't in school, he just doesn't cross paths with our main characters as much anymore. The Freedom Fighters also know about Sonic's loss, so that's why they moved tables to support him. Before they were just people Sonic would talk to during class, but not outside of school. Now they feel for him and wish to extend their friendship beyond just classes._

 _The Christmas presents show everyone's relationship with each other. Knuckles, as you can see, isn't really friends with Silver and Blaze. They're okay with each other, but they don't really like to talk much. The flowers the girls give all have meanings: (_ _ **Cherry blossoms**_ _: renewal._ _ **Yellow roses**_ _: friendship._ _ **White chrysanthemums**_ _: truth, loyalty._ _ **Iris**_ _: faith, wisdom, valor._ _ **Holly**_ _: defense, protection._ _ **Forget-Me-Nots**_ _: True love, remembrance). Fun fact, Sonic was the one that taught them how to make flower crowns. Also, yes, Amy got the girls Sonic plushies._

 _The song Sonic found was My Destiny from Sonic 06. No, it does not have any meaning to Elise in this story. It does tie in with an important female in his life though, but it was a family-like bond that he had. Not romantic. Just...listen to the song, but visualize it with a platonic love. There we go. Remember the voice he heard when he was drunk and it made him cry? It's her. Think of her as Sonic's version of Shadow's Maria, except our blue hero is actually repressing her because he doesn't want to remember her. Don't worry, she's an actual character from the series. Yes, she had a bond with Sonic. I mirrored it in here, so not much is changed. Ya just gotta think about it._

 _Rouge is pretty self-explanatory._

 _Just because the year is 3236 now, does not mean its only 1000 years different from ours. There's a 12,000 year difference. It's just 3236 in the "Modern Era."_

 _Now begins the hiatus. Chapters 1-15 were released quickly because they were all pre-made. 16-end I've only just started, so I'm able to be a lot flexible with them. They're just a bunch of ideas that are scrambled together with gaps in between. This means that any input, ideas, theories, suggestions, will be taken into consideration, so I'd love to hear anything you guys have to say. I actually encourage it. Remember, the main purpose of this story isn't so much on adventure, but the_ _ **psychological impact these events have on a teenage boy**_ _who suddenly went from a nobody, to a somebody forced to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders while living in a_ _ **post-war**_ _society. Sonic's got a lot to deal with: a family to take care of, the loss of his first love (a person he said he would save, but failed), being gifted with God-like powers though he doesn't know WHY him, how the Mobians rely on him as a chance for being seen as equals to Overlanders while the other species distrusts him though they are forced to depend on him, his older brother moving on without him and the underlying fear the kids will too, school and homework that he must balance with his heroic activities and hobbies, not to mention his past that he refuses to remember...now all of this on a 15 year old boy who has issues stemming from a lonely childhood? It's a lot for him to take in, yet he still tries to make the best of it with a smile on his face. "The loneliest are the kindest, the saddest smile the brightest"...but the more pressure you put, eventually it all snaps. Just something to think about. I'd love to hear any comments and ideas, it might inspire something that can be included in this fic._

 _Anyways, see ya guys soon._


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